The Companion
by waiting.for.summer
Summary: AU. It's Nick's birthday and Catherine has a surprise for him. It's not something he take back to the store, but luckily it turns out it's just what he always wanted. Rating changed as of chapter 3! It's still fairly mild for the rating. I love reviews!
1. Chapter 1

AN: Don't own 'em, just love 'em.

* * *

"Happy Birthday, Nick!" Sara called out as she entered the break room ten minutes before the graveyard shift started. Nick was sitting at the table nursing a cup of coffee and staring off into space.

He turned towards his grinning co-worker and smiled. "Thanks, Sara."

"How's it feel to be thirty-five?" she teased, crossing the room to get a cup of coffee.

Nick growled in response. "Thirty-three, Sara. You know that. Don't make me any older than I am."

Sara chuckled. "You're only as old as you feel, Nick. Of course, unless you've been hiding things from us, you're not 'feeling' anybody these days." She smirked over the rim of her cup.

He shot his dark-haired, sometimes-partner a dirty look and stood to rinse out his cup in the sink. "Not any of your business, little miss. Haven't heard about you having much of a life outside of this place lately either."

Nick could tell she was resisting the urge to stick out her tongue when Warrick, Catherine and Grissom walked into the room behind her.

"Happy Birthday, man." Warrick said, as Catherine crossed the room to give Nick a hug.

"Thanks," he said to Warrick and Catherine, as he gave the red-head a tight squeeze.

Warrick tossed a plastic-bagged package towards Nick. "Sorry, I didn't get it wrapped," he said with a shoulder shrug.

"No worries, man," Nick replied, opening the bag and pulling out a video game. "Hey, this one just came out. Thanks. We'll have to get together and try it out."

"I was hoping you'd say that," the green-eyed man said with a smile. He walked over to the coffee pot to top off his travel mug, and then turned to watch the presentation of the other gifts.

Smiling, Grissom walked closer and handed Nick a flat package wrapped in brown-recycled paper. "If you already have this one, I was told you could exchange it," he said as Nick opened the gift to find a book on birds of the western United States.

"Naw, I don't have this one. Thanks, Gris."

Grissom just continued smiling and nodded his head, as Sara stepped forward and placed a small package on the table. "I could have sworn you were going to be thirty-five this year," she said with a grin.

Nick grinned back. "I can be thirty-five if you want, Sara. Just remember, I'm only three years older than you," he replied, effectively ending the age conversation. He opened the small package and pulled out a CD and started to laugh. "Really, Sara?"

She grinned. "You need to broaden your horizons, Nick. I'm getting tired of Johnny Cash on the call-outs out of town."

He shook his head. "The driver picks the music, Sara. You know that. Get used to it."

"Nicky." Nick looked towards Catherine, who was standing in the doorway practically vibrating. "I've saved the best for last."

Nick looked around the room at his co-workers, but all of them looked as clueless as he felt. He turned his gaze back to Grissom's second-in-command and watched as she stepped out of the doorway and returned moments later, leading someone who was shuffling along in bare feet.

"I've been worried about you always being alone, Nicky, so I decided you needed a companion," she said, smiling at how pleased she was with her choice of a gift.

The silence in the break room was palpable. Nick finally broke the silence, as the young man dropped to his knees in front of him, "A companion?"

Catherine smirked. "Well, I was visiting Sam and told him I had to leave sooner than I had planned because I still hadn't gotten your birthday gift. He told me that just this afternoon he had gotten in a new shipment of companions for his casino, and told me I could have first pick for your present. So, happy birthday, Nick. I hope I made the right choice. There was just something about this one that told me he was the right one for you." Everyone in the room looked down at the still form kneeling on the ground, forehead touching the floor.

Nick swallowed heavily, "Catherine, I never…."

"I'll take him, if you don't want him." Warrick spoke up quickly. "Always wanted one, but can't afford it on the salary they pay me here."

Nick saw the huddled form on the floor appear to shrink in size, as the young man folded himself into even a smaller space. Quickly glancing up at Warrick, Nick looked at his friend and co-worker with surprise and a feeling of unrest. "No. I mean, I guess I'll…."

"Shit Catherine, you only got me a gift certificate for the day spa for my birthday. Too bad you weren't visiting Sam then," Sara snorted, allowing Nick a moment to collect his thoughts.

Grissom cleared his throat and garnered the attention of his team. "As much as we'd all like to stay and continue celebrating Nick's birthday, we do have work to do." He passed out slips of paper to Sara and Catherine and sent them out into the hallway to gather their kits. Crossing over to the remaining CSI's, he handed Warrick a slip of paper. "You and Nick are together tonight, go out and wait for him." As Warrick stepped out of the room, Grissom turned to Nick and gestured to the form on the floor. "Get him settled somewhere where Ecklie won't see him if he wanders in tonight." As he turned to leave the room Nick could hear him mutter, "What was she thinking?"

Nick knelt down and rested a hand on a shoulder of the prostrate young man. He could feel the tension therein and his breath hitched. "What's your name?" he asked softly.

"Greg, Master." The voice was so quiet that Nick caught himself leaning forward to catch the words.

"Greg, you don't have to call me Master. Hell, I don't know anything about being a Master." Nick exhaled deeply. "You need to stand up so that we can find someplace for you to stay while I'm out on a case." The white-clad figure gracefully rose to his feet, but his eyes remained lowered to the floor.

Nick began talking to himself out loud, "Maybe Mandy…"

Just then he heard a loud rumbling coming from Greg's stomach and turned to look at the embarrassed man. "Greg, when did you last eat?" he asked.

The answering whisper came hesitantly, "I'm not sure, Master. Maybe yesterday, or the day before. The trainers didn't want to waste food on those that were being shipped out to new owners."

"Son of a bitch!" Nick responded slamming his hand into the door frame. "I don't have time…. Come on." He started off down the hallway and Greg scurried to keep up with his long strides. Nick stopped in front of a cache of vending machines and turned to his charge. "I know this isn't the greatest food in the world, but I'll ask Mandy to be sure to get you something later." He put several single bills into the machine and turned to Greg impatiently. "What do you like?" Nick paused upon seeing the stricken and panicked look in the brown eyes across from him and changed his tone quickly. "I'm sorry, Greg. It's just that Warrick is waiting for me and I really need to get moving. We'll have more time to talk about things later. Could you please make a selection, or tell me what you'd like?"

The young man lowered his chin slightly and hesitantly pointed toward the machine. As Nick pushed the buttons, he asked, "What else?" Greg pointed once again and quickly pulled his hand back to his body. Nick punched the buttons for the second selection and realizing there was still money in the machine, pushed the buttons for the second selection one more time. He turned to another machine that contained beverages and slipped in money. As he raised his hand to make a selection he heard Greg's timid voice, "Water, please."

Nick soon added two bottles of water to Greg's small supply of foodstuffs. "Anything else?"

"No, Master."

Nick wanted to clear up the whole 'Master' thing, but knew he was short on time and Warrick would be chomping at the bit to get to their scene, so he ignored the title and began walking down the hallway again, Greg trailing slightly behind him.

As he stopped in front of the fingerprint lab, Nick eased into the doorway. "Mandy…," he began in his most cajoling voice.

"It may be your birthday, but it ain't gonna happen, Stokes," Mandy responded, without turning to face him. "Your evidence goes into the rotation, just like all the rest." When he didn't respond to her words, she turned to face him.

"It's not evidence, Mandy. I need you to help me out here. Grissom said I needed to find a safe place to leave something. It has to be 'Ecklie-proof'."

Mandy smiled and shook her head. "Are you trying to get me into trouble, Nick?"

He gave her a wry smile and moved into the room, reaching back to gently pull Greg in behind him. "It's a long story, Mandy, but I haven't got time know. Can you keep Greg safe for me? Maybe let him sit in that little blind spot between the cabinets, please?"

She looked at him with wide eyes. "Nick, what's going on?"

He sighed. "Catherine gave me a companion for a birthday present, I certainly didn't expect it. I …. If I leave money would you be sure he gets a meal later? I guess he hasn't been fed for a couple of days."

Mandy took in the figure before her. The young man was rail-thin, barefoot, and dressed in simple white cotton drawstring pants and shirt. His head was lowered and she could see little of his face due to the longish hair that hadn't been cut or styled in a long, long time. She gave Nick a hard look and lifted her chin slightly. "Give me a call if you have to work overtime and I'll take him home with me."

She moved closer to the still form and placed a gentle hand on his arm. "Let's get you settled. Greg, isn't it?" As she steered him further into the room, she turned to Nick, "We'll be fine. Give me a call later and we'll touch base."

Nick nodded and backed out of the room. Turning, he almost ran down the hallway knowing Warrick was waiting, but almost as important as getting to the scene was the idea of getting away from the young man sitting in Mandy's lab. Nick needed time to think.

Mandy led Greg to the small alcove between the tall, doored-cabinets and gave him a smile. "I have to get back to my work, but you give me a yell if you need anything. Okay, Greg?" He nodded hesitantly and as she turned back to her counter he slowly sank to his knees.

* * *

A couple of hours later David Hodges waltzed into Mandy's lab with a grimace on his face. "You'd think there would be birthday cake in the break room with it being the golden boy's special day, but noooo. I really was hoping for a nice piece of chocolate cake tonight."

Mandy swung around to look at the disgruntled trace tech and they both were startled by a loud growling noise. She looked quickly to the alcove where Greg was kneeling, Hodges' eyes following her gaze. The young man was folded up as small as he was able in the tight space, the snack food and water bottles setting beside him.

The fingerprint tech moved quickly over to Greg and knelt in front of him. "Sorry Greg, I got caught up in work and forgot about you over here. Hey, why didn't you eat the snacks Nick got for you before he left? I know he said you were hungry, that you hadn't been fed for a couple of days."

A whisper came from the huddled form, "I wasn't told I was allowed to eat, Mistress Mandy."

Mandy's eyes widened and she gasped, "Oh Greg, I didn't realize you needed permission. I've never had experience with a companion before." She turned to Hodges with a look of pain. 'Help me,' her face spoke silently.

The tech stepped over to the couple and held a hand out to his fellow lab rat, helping her back on her feet. He moved into the space she had just vacated and knelt down. "Hey, my name is David and I heard Mandy call you Greg. Greg, why don't you find a more comfortable position, the floor has to be hurting your knees if you've been kneeling here two hours into Nick's shift."

Greg lifted his eyes and looked quickly from Hodges to Mandy, as if seeking permission from the person his new Master had left in charge of him. Mandy felt her eyes begin to tear. "It's okay, Greg. David is a friend and co-worker of Nick's. He won't be upset if you talk to him or follow his suggestions."

"Come on, buddy. My knees are already killing me. Let's both sit in a more comfortable position," Hodges said, waiting until the young man in front of him began to shift before doing so himself.

"It's not so bad. I've had to kneel on hard surfaces for a lot longer than this," Greg said softly.

"That doesn't make it right," Mandy choked out before bolting from the room.

Hodges tilted his head and gave a little shrug. "Some people don't understand the whole companion thing. They don't associate in the same social circles as those who keep companions. It makes it difficult to comprehend how it works." He reached forward and opened the package of peanut butter-filled crackers setting beside Greg's thigh, handing it to the hungry man. "You may eat all of this and drink all the water, if you wish. It's your decision, Greg."

The slight man smiled, "Thank you, Master David."

Hodges watched as Greg quickly, but neatly ate the package of crackers and opened a bottle of water. "Greg, I heard Mandy say that you hadn't eaten for a couple of days. Hasn't Nick been feeding you?" his voice took on a hard quality.

Greg looked at Hodges in surprise. "Nick only received me as a gift a couple of hours ago. He bought me this food when he learned I was hungry. Please don't be upset with my Master," he said earnestly.

Hodges nodded his head. "Okay then, Greg, who didn't feed you?"

Greg lowered his eyes and traced a finger around the open top of the water bottle. "My trainers. They knew I was being purchased and that I would get a meal upon my arrival at my new situation. Mistress Catherine selected me for Master Nick before a meal was served."

"Were you often left unfed, Greg?"

Hodges watched as Greg's knuckles turned white while twisting on the bottle cap. "The trainers told us that owners prefer slender companions. Sometimes we would go many days without being fed."

The trace tech heard a gasp from behind him and realized that Mandy had returned to the lab just in time to hear the last comment from the young man in front of him. "So you're fresh from the trainers, then? Aren't you a little old to be newly trained?" he asked, trying to keep the information coming.

Greg nodded. "I wasn't born into companionship. I only went into training a year ago."

"What happened?"

Greg closed his eyes while answering the question, not wanting to see the faces of the couple in front of him as he told his tale. "I had just graduated from college. Top of my class in chemistry. I came home to spend the summer with my family before beginning my internship in New York. When I got home the mortgage agents were already there. My father's business had folded and the assets didn't cover the mortgage. They were taking my fourteen year-old-sister as payment for the remaining debt. I stepped in and took her place." He opened his eyes at Mandy's choked sob. "It's okay Mistress Mandy, Adele's safe. I covered the debt adequately."

Hodges placed a hand on Greg's arm. "She was lucky you were there, Greg." He was treated to a sad smile in response.

Greg lowered his eyes and spoke softly, "Master David, is it alright if I eat the chocolate bar, too?"

"Of course it is, Greg. You may eat everything that Nick left with you, if you wish." Greg smiled and reached for the candy bar. "Greg," Hodges began, "do you like Italian food?"

Greg looked up quickly and nodded.

"I'm planning on ordering out for my mid-shift break. Would you like to join me for a meal? Mario's does a really great lasagna." Hodges was rewarded with a huge grin.

"It would please me very much to share your meal, Master David." He looked at Mandy. "Is it permitted, Mistress?"

Mandy smiled, "Only if he orders enough for three. I love Mario's lasagna."

Hodges looked back and forth between Mandy and Greg. "I'll call it in." He looked at Greg intently. "I need to get back to work, but if you need anything at all I want you to ask Mandy." He leaned forward and asked softly, "Do you need a bathroom break before I leave?" He felt awkward asking, but knew it was something that would be hard for the young man to request.

Greg shook his head. "Not now, Master David, but maybe later. After I drink the rest of my water."

Hodges nodded. "Okay then." He rose and walked to the door. "I'll see you both in a little while."

Greg went back to his chocolate bar, leaning against the cabinet in a more relaxed pose. Mandy looked away from the young man, but knew that she wouldn't forget about him sitting in that tiny alcove for a second time that night.


	2. Chapter 2

AN: Don't own 'em, just love 'em.

Thanks for the reviews!

* * *

Approximately an hour and a half later, Hodges came to the door and motioned to Mandy that he had their meal. She crossed to the door and leaned out. "Do we go to the break room? We're really not supposed to eat in here and there's no way to camouflage the smell of lasagna."

"Let's go to the trace lab. I'll mix some chemicals, or something, to cover the smell after we eat," he responded. He leaned into Mandy's lab and called out to Greg, "Come on, buddy, or your food will get cold."

Greg rose to his feet and gathered his empty bottles and wrappers. As he followed Nick's co-workers to the other lab he deposited his debris in a hallway trashcan. He smiled at Mandy, "I wouldn't want you to get in trouble if they found my containers in your trash bin, Mistress Mandy."

She smiled at him. "Thank you, Greg. You are much more considerate than I was earlier. I'm sorry that I didn't realize that you were uncomfortable and not able to eat."

"No worries, Mistress Mandy. You have a job to do. I'm fine with staying out of your way." Greg nodded shyly and smiled. "It's a nice warm space. Thank you for allowing me to share it."

Hodges had arranged the lab to permit them to sit with their backs to the glass and Greg to be hidden from view from the hallway. He opened a brown bag and passed out the aluminum foil containers, napkins and forks from within. "I saw you like water, Greg, so I got us all a bottle." After passing out the beverages, he reached into another bag and pulled out three containers of salad and a sleeve of breadsticks.

Greg stared at the meal, before looking at Hodges in amazement. "Who else is joining us, Master David?"

"No one, Greg. I expect you to eat all your food, too. Don't want Nick accusing me of letting you go hungry." Hodges reached over and opened Greg's salad container and then placed two breadsticks on top of the contents.

Mandy and Hodges settled down to eat, and Greg timidly began to try his food. Hodges hid a smile when he heard the young man give a moan of appreciation at the first taste of the lasagna. When Greg had consumed about half of his meal, Hodges decided to see if he could get any additional information from the newly purchased companion. "I have a degree in chemistry too, Greg. Where did you go to school?" he asked.

"Berkeley. My primary focus was organic chemistry, but I minored in forensics," he replied. "I was supposed to intern at the coroner's office in New York, but …." Greg looked around the lab in appreciation. "You have a lot of top line equipment in your lab, Master David."

Mandy and Hodges shared a quick, surprised look. Mandy leaned forward. "Are you familiar with the equipment, Greg?"

He nodded. "A little. One of my courses allowed the students to use this type of equipment in our studies." He lowered his head and pushed around some of the remaining salad with his fork. "I was really looking forward to learning more during my internship."

Mandy closed up her food containers, feeling a loss of appetite. Hodges looked at her realizing her discomfiture. "How about Greg spending a little time in here with me? That okay with you, Greg?"

The young man looked to Mandy for approval and when she shrugged her shoulders and smiled, he nodded at Hodges. "That would be fine, Master David. I would enjoy watching you work. It would remind me of college."

* * *

Greg watched Hodges as he worked; occasionally asking questions after discovering that the lab tech enjoyed talking about his job. Every once in awhile, Hodges would ask Greg what he thought about using a certain reagent, as opposed to another, and liking the answers given by the young man.

"You would have done well in New York," he said after a couple of hours.

Greg practically glowed at the compliment. "Thank you, Master David." He paused and then asked, "Could I ask you a question? It's not about chemistry."

Hodges finished with his task and turned on the machine in front of him. "I've got some time now until this finishes." He walked over and sat on the floor beside Greg. "What do you want to know?"

"Your reaction to me was different than Mistress Mandy's or Master Nick's." Greg paused wondering if his question was appropriate. "What I mean is, you seemed more comfortable around me."

Hodges tilted his head and gave a half shrug. "You are wondering why, even though I probably can't afford a companion, I understand the dynamics involved, right?"

Greg nodded, "Only if you want to answer, Master David."

The trace tech settled himself more comfortably on the hard floor. "Well, if circumstances were different, I might have been born into companionship myself." He looked at Greg, who was staring at the revelation. "My mother was a companion when my father met her. They were both young and my father fell deeply in love with her. There was no way she was ever going to buy herself out of the life, so my dad decided he would somehow find a way to purchase her contract."

He smiled at Greg. "It does happen, but it is usually so cost prohibitive that no one is able to get enough funds together to actually make it happen. But my dad worked two jobs and saved every penny he could. It took him eighteen years to save up enough money to take over her contract. By the time they were able to be together it was almost too late for them to have any children. They called me their 'miracle child'."

Greg looked closely at the man in front of him. "Thank you for sharing your story, Master David."

Hodges patted his arm. "You shared yours. It was only fair that I shared mine." A beeping from the machine behind him caused him to start. "Gotta get back to work. How about we see what the swing shift left us to finish? They always leave something around that needs to be completed. I don't know what they do with their time. It certainly isn't their jobs."

* * *

The crime scene had been decidedly messy and intricate. The two male CSI's had worked non-stop gathering body fluid samples, finger prints and shoe impressions. They had even had to result to 'stringing' the room to determine impact information for the metal rod discovered tossed behind the building. Nick looked at his watch and realized he wasn't going to make it back in time for Mandy to go off shift. He quickly pulled out his cell phone and punched in her number, relieved when she answered on the third ring.

I'm sorry, Mandy," he started hurriedly, "there's no way I can get back by end of shift. The scene is pretty awful. I'm going to be at least one, probably two more hours. Could you…"

Mandy cut him off in mid-sentence, "We're fine here. Hodges is helping out and even bought our mid-shift meal."

Nick felt the wind was taken out of his sails. "Hodges?" His mind was having trouble placing the lab tech in a babysitting mode.

"Yes, Hodges. He's great with Greg. The poor guy would have been better off with him from the beginning. They've been holed up in the trace lab since we broke for our meal." Mandy reassured him. "Don't worry, Nick. I'll take him home with me and, if you're more that a couple of hours late, I'll put him in my guest room. He's exhausted. He's not used to the graveyard shift."

"Thanks, Mandy. I'll get there as soon as I can. Make sure he understands I'm not abandoning him." Nick hesitated. "Mandy, I really appreciate this."

"Get back to work, Stokes," she replied. "The sooner you get done the sooner you can pick up Greg." She closed her phone and sighed. She had fresh fruit, milk and cereal at home. There might even be bread for toast and an egg, or two in the frig. Mandy smiled, already planning the next meal she was going to feed the thin young man. Damn it, he wasn't going hungry on her watch again.

* * *

Greg shook his head and politely declined Mandy's request to make him breakfast. "Please Mistress, I'm not used to so much food. My stomach can't hold anything more, but I could make you something, if you wish."

"No, that's okay Greg. I don't usually eat anything right before going to bed." At the young man's look out the window, she smiled. "It can be hard getting used to the graveyard shift, but it'll be easier for you and Nick if you can try to adapt to his schedule."

Greg nodded and tried to smother a yawn. Mandy chuckled. "I guess you're ready to sleep, too."

"I'll be fine, Mistress Mandy. I'll sleep when Master Nick says I may." He shifted uneasily on the sofa, eyeing the floor in front of him. "Mistress, are you sure you wouldn't rather I kneel on the floor? The carpet looks soft," he added, remembering her upset at him kneeling on the tiled floor of the lab.

"No one kneels on my floor, Greg. No one kneels in my apartment, even if Nick were here I wouldn't allow it. Not that Nick would expect you to do that," the dark haired tech added quickly. She looked at Greg closely to sense his reaction. "I don't think that Nick and his friends are anything like what you expected from your training, Greg. I hope we're not a disappointment to you," she added with a grin.

Greg's brown eyes widened. "Oh no, Mistress Mandy, I have felt very lucky today. Master Nick seemed very busy earlier, but appeared to be caring. I think I will much prefer being a companion to just one person, instead of belonging to the casino. Pleasure companions at a place such as that never know who will be requiring their services."

"Pleasure companion?" Mandy appeared unsure of the term, clearly it couldn't mean what she believed.

The tired young man nodded. "Pleasure companions can be requested from the concierge. I was waiting to be 'cleaned up' prior to having my picture taken for the portfolio of available companions."

"And if you were selected…?" Mandy verbally stumbled, almost not wanting Greg to answer the question.

"The manager of the pleasure companion services at the casino said that we were required to fulfill the needs of the person paying for our services. However, they were not allowed to leave any permanent or, even semi-permanent marks unless they had paid for the privilege beforehand."

Mandy rose quickly from the upholstered chair across from Greg and headed for the kitchen, trying to hide the fact that she was close to tears for the almost-fate of the young man in front of her, and the inevitable fate of those Catherine had not selected for Nick's birthday gift.

"I'm getting a bottle of water, Greg. Can I get you anything?" she called out, as she clenched the counter top in a white-knuckled grip.

"I'm fine," Greg answered, remaining seated. He looked toward the doorway where she had disappeared and frowned. He hadn't meant to upset her, but it was clear that Mistress Mandy had found his answers to her questions hard to acknowledge. The information might have seemed foreign and distasteful to him a year ago also, but now, after a year of training (although he felt it more akin to brainwashing) it was just expected. His life was no longer his own, his choices not his to make.

As a pleasure companion, Greg's Master controlled every aspect of his life, and if his Master decided to make him available to others, then Greg would be expected to provide whatever services requested of him. Greg wondered what his new Master liked. Would he want to keep Greg solely to himself, or would he allow others to use Greg for their pleasure? Did his new Master even like the idea of a male companion? Greg knew many people, both male and female, didn't.

The trainers had decided that Greg's look appealed to both men and women, so he had been trained as a pleasure companion capable of pleasing either sex. Greg had had limited sexual experiences prior to his enslavement, but he knew from his freely made choices that he preferred male partners. Of course, a master, regardless of his gender, who didn't share his companion freely with others, was preferable to one who was indiscriminant, or worse, one who made a living off of pimping out their companion.

Greg sat uncomfortably waiting for either Mistress Mandy to return, or for Master Nick to come and take him to his new home. He didn't like this limbo he was forced into. Sitting in the lab earlier with Master David, Greg could almost forget that he was now a companion, not an aspiring forensics student or intern.

He yawned, unable to believe that as nervous as he was becoming, his body could still crave rest. Greg glanced at the digital numbers on the entertainment center and realized he had been awake for close to thirty hours. He decided to just close his eyes for a few moments while he waited for Mistress Mandy to return to the living room. A few moments would be alright surely? Greg was positive his eyes would pop open immediately when his new Master's co-worker came back into the room. However, when Mandy didn't immediately return, Greg drifted off to sleep, his body sliding into the corner of the sofa, his chin on his chest.

When Mandy finally regained control of her emotions, she walked into the living room to find Greg sleeping. Not knowing how deeply asleep he was and being afraid of waking him, she decided to get herself ready for bed before trying to cover him with a blanket or throw. After changing into sleepwear and taking care of her own personal needs, she reached into the hall linen closet to get a covering for Greg. She eased his lower legs and feet onto the seat cushions, carefully placing the blanket over his body and tucking the upper corners around his shoulders, which were still elevated and wedged into the corner of the sofa.

Looking at the sleeping figure, Mandy realized she couldn't do anything more to make him comfortable, other than waking him and trying to talk him into using the bed in her guest room, which she doubted he'd do. She looked at the clock and debated whether to try to get some sleep herself, or to stay awake until Nick showed up to claim Greg. Even though she had the upcoming night shift off, she decided to try to get some sleep while she could. If she decided to stay awake, Nick probably wouldn't show up for several more hours anyway.

* * *

Nick sat in his truck trying to get up the nerve to knock on Mandy's door. It had been almost too easy leaving Greg at the beginning of the shift. The idea of being responsible for a stranger was causing his heart to race and the acids in his stomach to churn. His family had never had any companions, as his mother was vehemently opposed to the entire subculture, but he'd had frat brothers who had their own companions. In fact a couple of upperclassmen his sophomore year had kept a shared apartment off campus just to house their companions in close proximity to the campus. Nick had heard the off color remarks directed towards the seniors when they left to go visit the apartment.

Looking at Greg, Nick had realized that the young man had undoubtedly been trained to be a personal companion. At the very least, he would have had training involving household needs, as he was much too slight to have been trained for heavy labor. But the knowledge that he had been purchased by Catherine's father for the casino led Nick to believe Greg may have been trained as a pleasure companion. The young man had needed a haircut and some decent clothes, but Nick had seen the potential underneath the rough cotton clothing. A few good meals would fill the slender body out in just the right places.

Nick recalled the brown eyes staring at him in apprehension and wondered how they would look filled with passion. Giving a strained groan, he gently thumped his head against the steering wheel. Yeah, Catherine had known what she was doing when she selected Greg from the potential candidates. Nick had never allowed his dating life and his work life to ever co-mingle, but somehow Catherine had seen through his façade of being a 'ladies man', to his true self. Just the idea of having a pleasure companion as attractive as Greg made Nick half hard in anticipation.

He chastised himself for his thoughts and vowed that Greg wouldn't have to worry about his physical well-being while with him. He was stronger than that. He could keep his impulses under control, and allow the young man to ease into his new situation in Nick's home and life. There wasn't much that Nick needed done around the house, but together they'd find enough to keep Greg busy while Nick was at work. Just the idea of having someone waiting when he came home was terribly enticing. That was the hardest part of living alone, Nick thought, walking in the front door to the quiet.

Nick looked up at Mandy's apartment building again, wondering if the two of them were awake or if they were both sleeping. He hated the idea of waking them to pick up Greg, but he desperately needed to get home himself and grab some shut-eye. His next shift was coming up all too soon and after the busy couple of weeks the department had experienced, every minute of sleep was welcome. With a sigh, Nick opened his car door and began the walk to Mandy's building. Waiting in the truck was not going to make this any easier, Nick decided. It was time to pick up Greg and see what could be worked out between the two men.

* * *

AN: Next chapter will contain more adult content. Nothing extremely explicit (I haven't allowed myself to do that yet), but enough that I want to let anyone know that if they want to avoid the last portion of the chapter, the rest will be PG. Now for those of you with dirty minds, NO SKIPPING to the end. LOL


	3. Chapter 3

AN: Don't own 'em, just love 'em.

Thanks for the reviews!

Content rating changes later in this chapter.

* * *

Looking at Mandy all sleep-rumpled, with her face scrubbed clean of make-up, Nick thought, not for the first time, that had he been heterosexual, Mandy would have been the perfect woman for him. She was always up-beat, challenged him verbally and was easy on the eyes. Yeah, even though she wasn't his preferred type of sexual partner, Nick found it hard to believe that some smart man hadn't snapped her up long before this.

He gave her an 'I'm really sorry' smile as she opened the door for him to enter. Mandy gave a yawn and gestured toward the sofa. "He fell asleep not too long after we got here."

Nick nodded and began to apologize for the entire situation. "I'm so sorry, Mandy. I didn't know what to do when Catherine presented him to me. I knew he'd be safe with you. I wasn't sure about some of the other workers in the building. I've heard horror stories about companions who were without the protection of their masters."

"It was fine, Nick. Hodges was really good with Greg. If you need someone to help you out, I'd talk to him. He really got Greg to open up about his life before and in the training facility. Ask him about it, I think you'll be surprised at the answers Greg gives you," Mandy informed him.

Nick nodded, "As soon as I get some sleep and don't have to run back out to another scene like the one tonight. I've had a some worse ones, but this one ranked up there with some of the nastiest."

The woman in front of him reached out to give him a quick hug. "Not the way to spend your birthday, Nick. I'm sorry it was so brutal."

Nick allowed himself to relax slightly, but pulled back not wanting to give Mandy any ideas concerning their relationship. He needn't have worried; the female lab tech was only interested in the young man sleeping in her living room. She nodded over to the sofa, "I have tonight off, Nick. Would you like me to help out with Greg? He's going to need some clothes and things. I could take him shopping."

"You'd do that?" he asked, finding it hard to believe that she'd be willing to give up her free hours to help someone she had only just met.

Mandy smiled at her friend and co-worker. "He's gotten a bum deal lately, Nick. Anything I can do to help him feel more comfortable isn't going to be a hardship. I'll swing by and pick him up about a half hour before your shift and bring him back here afterwards. You can pick him up in the morning and we'll all have breakfast together. That work for you?"

Nick nodded at her and smiled. "I'd appreciate it. I guess he does need some things of his own. Those white pajama-looking things are not the most attractive garments to be wearing, and I really hate shopping for clothing, even for myself."

She yawned and tilted her head towards the sofa. "Take him home and I'll see you both tonight. Hit the lock on your way out." Mandy turned to walk back down her hallway towards the bedroom, but as Nick walked into the living room, she called back, "Oh and Nick, hit the bank on your way home. Greg and I are going to need some major spending money tonight."

The tired CSI groaned. "Happy birthday to yourself, Nick," he muttered, as he went to wake up his new companion.

* * *

The drive home was quiet. Nick was still battling the aftereffects of his latest crime scene and Greg was still drowsy from being woken up before getting a complete rest. When Nick finally pulled the truck into his driveway, both men were just becoming physically aware of the proximity of the other in the enclosed space of the cab.

"Uh, we're here," Nick announced, switching the key into the off position. "Home, sweet home." He turned to look at the slender figure sitting on the bench seat beside him.

Greg was looking out the window at the small, but neat house. He smiled. "Do you live by yourself, Master?" he asked quietly.

"Not any longer," he replied, watching Greg's face.

The young man looked over at him and gave a shy grin. "Home?"

"Yeah. Come on in. I'll give you the ten cent tour," he joked. "It's not that big, but I've never really needed more space just for myself."

Greg looked back at the house and gave a small shrug. "I don't take up too much space, Master."

They exited the truck and walked across to the front entryway. Upon entering the house, Nick led Greg from room to room allowing him to get a sense of familiarity with the abode. Walking down the short hallway to the bedrooms, Nick opened a door and gestured inside. "I've been using this as storage, but I can get it cleared out for you on my next day off. Most of the clothing doesn't fit me anymore and I was planning on boxing it up and taking it to Goodwill. Do you think you'd be comfortable here?" he asked quietly.

Greg stood silently, looking into the cluttered room with unease. "If that's what you wish, Master."

Nick groaned. "I'd rather you didn't call me Master, Greg. Just call me Nick. Please."

"Okay, Mas…..Nick," he stumbled in his response.

"I've got to get some sleep, Greg. I have to go back into work in less than eight hours. Mandy's going to pick you up before I leave. She has tonight off and is going to take you shopping for clothes, toiletries, whatever you need to feel at home here." Nick ran a hand over his tired face.

Greg watched his Master struggle with staying awake and wanted to ease his mind. "I won't need much, Mas…. Nick. I've gotten used to not having many clothes. I can keep them clean. You won't have to spend much to keep me."

Nick dropped his hand from his face and looked at the young man in front of him. "I don't expect you to spend all your time in this house in the same clothes everyday. Mandy will help you pick out the essentials and we'll get more as needed. You definitely need some shirts and jeans. And at least one pair of shoes. When I go out socially, I'd like you to accompany me, if you feel comfortable doing so. Having the right clothing to wear will make it easier to fit in."

"As you wish," Greg acknowledged, looking at the floor.

"Alright then, if that's settled, I'm going to bed." Nick walked into his bedroom and grabbed his sleep pants off the end of his bed and strode down the hall to the bathroom to get changed and brush his teeth.

Greg stood silently and looked around him. He knew from looking in the spare bedroom earlier, that there was no place in there to sleep, the bed and floor were both covered with boxes, sports equipment, and piles of clothing. He could, perhaps, go out into the living room and curl up on the floor, but the hardwood did not have the benefit of a rug for warmth. Not wanting to bother his Master again, Greg walked to the corner of the bedroom Nick obviously used and settled down into an empty space in the corner. The floor in here was carpeted and although Greg would have liked to ask for a blanket, he would not bother Nick over such a small indulgence.

When Nick entered the bedroom he walked straight to the bed and crawled under the covers, giving a groan of satisfaction as he was able to stretch his tired body out horizontally. He gave a thought to Greg and wondered if he was comfortable on the living room sofa, before rolling over to pull the extra pillow close to his body, wishing it was more than just a pillow in his arms.

The movement allowed the one stray shaft of light that was able to slip in between the curtains to fall on his face. He opened his eyes in disgust, considering getting back up to shift the edges of the inadequate window coverings, when in his line of vision he saw Greg curled up on the floor in the corner of his room.

Nick sat up immediately and stared at huddled figure in the corner. "Greg, what the hell are you doing on the floor in here?" he sputtered, finding it incomprehensible that someone would voluntarily sleep on the floor when there were other options available.

Greg startled upright and stared at Nick. "I'm sorry, Master Nick, I'm sorry. I'll go sleep in another room. I'm sorry to have displeased you." The flustered and slightly frightened young man scampered to his feet and rushed towards the doorway.

"Stop, Greg," Nick quickly uttered, watching as the skittish man hovered at the doorway, head lowered to his chest. "Greg, I'm not mad at you, I guess I just assumed you would sleep on the couch like you did at Mandy's."

He watched as Greg swallowed visibly. "Mistress Mandy is not my master. I would not enter her bedroom unless I was told it was expected of me," he faltered, and then began again. "I do not know what is expected of me now, Master Nick. I thought it might be best to be close incase you required my services tonight."

Nick stared at the young man in front of him and took a calming breath. "I guess we're both making assumptions today, Greg. Maybe we should just both speak our minds. We might make it easier on ourselves."

Greg raised his head and looked back at Nick, giving him a trembling smile. "Okay, Mas… Nick."

Nick grabbed the corner of the bedding and pulled it over, exposing the bottom sheet on the other side of his wide bed. "You might as well be comfortable, Greg. No strings attached. I'm not sure I'm capable of anything right now anyway. Just too fucking tired."

He was rewarded with a quiet chuckle, as Greg stepped around the bed and gingerly climbed under the covers. The young man settled on his side facing Nick and took a steadying breath. "You do understand Master Nick that I am yours. For whatever service you desire. If you are too tired, I could…."

"Sleep is what I want right now, Greg, although I do appreciate the offer," Nick grinned. "Let's both try and get some rest. I don't trust Mandy not to come early, banging on the door demanding coffee before your little shopping spree. She seemed entirely too eager to be spending my money."

Greg gave a little giggle and snuggled down into the covers, placing his head on the pillow that Nick had replaced on his side of the bed. "I'll try to restrain Mistress Mandy tomorrow, Mas…Nick. Thank you," he said with a smile and closed his eyes. Nick watched him for a few minutes until he was sure his bed partner was drifting off to sleep, and then he closed his own eyes and followed Greg into slumber.

* * *

(content advisory)

Nick was having the most incredible dream. He was having fantastic sex and felt like his body was on fire. As his body was waking due to the intense feelings he was experiencing, he realized it wasn't a dream. A pair of hands were stroking his hips and his groin was deeply engulfed in a warm mouth. Nick groaned, realizing that the young man in his bed had taken it upon himself to wake up his master in a very intimate way.

Rising up onto his elbows, Nick looked down at the brown-haired man and resisted thrusting his hips at the sight. Greg lifted his head slightly at the movement and made eye contact with his new master. Nick could almost feel the grin of the mouth surrounding him, when his breath hitched during a decidedly clever oral maneuver. "Up here, now," he ordered in a raspy voice.

Greg gave one last tongue swirl before trailing his mouth up Nick's body. When he was stretched out along the other man's length, he found himself suddenly flipped; his back connecting with the sheets, as Nick slanted his lips over Greg's and took control of the encounter.

Greg's hands stroked Nick's back and settled along his torso where the waist was the smallest, his thumbs making contact with the smooth abdomen, while his fingers fluttered, slightly skimming skin before straightening out as spasms of pleasure began to course through his body.

Nick was using his advantage to press his erection into the hip bone of the slighter man below him, at the same time capturing Greg's erection between their bodies. As Nick lowered his lips to Greg's jaw line and rotated his hips, he heard the young man whimper as he offered his throat to the man above him.

"What do you want, Greg?" he asked, trailing his tongue across the sharp collar bone before him. "Tell me what YOU want," he repeated, emphasizing the fact that it was Greg's choice at this point. He realized that the young man had started this sexual encounter, but he was unsure if he had intended for Nick to want to take it to its natural conclusion.

"To be yours, Master Nick. Only yours. However you want me," he whispered, bringing his knees up alongside Nick's hips and resting his feet on Nick's calves.

Nick groaned at the invitation presented to him and brought his mouth back to Greg's. He ran his hands down the supine man's arms capturing his hands and bringing them above their owner's head to rest on the forgotten pillow. He tilted his pelvis and ground down at a slightly different angle, causing Greg to buck in response before tilting his own hips and knees to lock his ankles behind Nick's ass.

"What if I wanted to be buried deep inside of you, Greg? Do you want that?" he asked in a pleasured roughen voice. "Do you want me inside of you, filling you, stretching you?"

"God yes, please. Please," he panted. "Make me yours, Master. Please. It's been so very long."

Nick raised his head to look into the eyes of the man below him, wanting to see that this was really what Greg wanted, not just what Greg thought Nick wanted. The look in the young man's eyes shone with desire and need, which he thought probably, mirrored his own look at the moment. He levered himself off of Greg and heard the young man whimper at the loss of body contact, his legs still trying to hold Nick's body close to his own.

"It's okay, Greg. I'm not going anywhere; there are just a few things in the drawer here that will make this easier for both of us." Greg acknowledged Nick's words and loosened the grip of his legs slightly, allowing Nick to slide up as he stretched toward the bedside table. His movement opened up his chest to Greg's wandering lips and Nick faltered in his search for a moment. "God, you're killing me here, Greg."

His fingers finally grasped the items he was looking for and he shifted back down the lithe body below him. Setting the items on the bed beside him, he captured Greg's lips again. "Mine," he growled, before stroking his tongue at the corner of Greg's mouth.

"Yours," came the answering whisper. "Just yours."

* * *

Nick rested in the bed, unable to return to sleep. The clock on the bedside table told him that he only had a short period of time remaining before he had to get up, and although he was still tired, it wasn't the brain draining type of tired. Greg had managed to scour that from his body, all that remained was a pleasantly, relaxed type of tired that he truly only experienced after having really great sex.

He looked down at the young man draped over the left side of his body. Greg had hardly moved after their first sexual encounter. He'd shifted slightly to allow Nick to exit the bed and after Nick had returned with a washcloth had wiped him carefully clean, and then climbed back into bed, he'd attached himself to his Master and had become the human equivalent of a limpet.

Nick had smiled at Greg's reaction to the sex. It seemed that the act itself had taken his new bedmate out of 'companion-mode'; he hadn't jumped up and ran to the bathroom for the washcloth or volunteered any other services. He had merely snuggled in, attached himself to Nick and had fallen deeply asleep. 'I've still got it', Nick grinned, remembering how his older brother had once told him that you'd known you'd satisfied a woman during sex if she fell asleep right afterwards.

He glanced at the clock again and debated getting up. He could spare another half an hour if he resorted to cereal or frozen waffles for his meal, instead of cooking something more elaborate. Nick looked back to the head nestled on his shoulder and carded his fingers through the long hair. Cheerios weren't so bad. His decision made, he allowed himself to continue to run his fingers through the locks on his new companion with a smile.

* * *

Reviews appreciated, especially if you liked it. LOL

I hope I was correct in changing the rating of the story. Does it seem right? I'd prefer to be over cautious, but if I'm being an old fuddy-duddy, please let me know. LOL


	4. Chapter 4

AN: Don't own 'em, just love 'em.

Thanks for the reviews! Keep 'em coming. I almost always end up sitting down to work on a story, if I've had a positive review. (hint hint)

* * *

That evening, Mandy looked back and forth between the two men as they finished their breakfast of cereal, fruit and toast. They look relaxed with each other she noted and gave a grin, nodding to herself. "What?" Nick asked nervously, catching her look and movement.

"I'm beginning to think that I'll have even a larger wad of money to spend tonight than I originally expected," she teased, laughing when both Nick and Greg's faces reddened slightly. "It appears Catherine chose correctly."

"She did," Nick responded, rising to carry his dishes to the sink and returning to ruffle Greg's hair before filling his coffee cup again, earning himself a smile with the gesture.

Mandy looked closer at Greg. The young man shifted in his seat under her intense gaze. "And you, Greg, do you concur with Nick's statement?" she asked quietly, unsure of how he viewed the events of whatever had happened between the two men.

He looked up at her and gave a small smile. "I was very lucky that Mistress Catherine chose me over the others," he said, glancing over to Nick and breaking into a bigger smile.

She leaned back in her chair and lifted her own cup to her lips. "Like I said before, larger wad of money to spend." Both men looked at her and Nick sighed with a nod.

"You won't be wasting any of my Mas….Nick's money tonight, Mistress Mandy," Greg said firmly and was rewarded with a grin from Mandy.

"Well Greg, what happened to the young man from last night who was almost too afraid to talk? Now you're telling me what's going to happen?"

Greg's eyes widened at her words, his line of sight dropping to the table top. "I'm sorry, Mistress Mandy. I didn't mean to be impertinent. It is your right to punish me if my Master deems it." The companion seemed to shrink before her eyes.

Mandy up straight with a start. "I was only joking, Greg. I'll never get this whole thing down right. Please look at me," she requested quietly. The young man raised his eyes, but kept his chin lowered in penitence. "Friends joke with each other. I'm not your Master and, as friends, we can joke." She looked to Nick for confirmation.

The other man nodded, reaching across to stroke the nape of Greg's neck. "Unless I tell you otherwise, I want you to be free to interact with my friends and co-workers as if you had never been trained as a companion, Greg. I like it when you feel comfortable to be 'you', not what you think is expected because of your training." He reinforced his words with slight pressure, cupping Greg's neck and running his thumb along the young man's jaw line.

Greg nodded in acknowledgement, but Nick could still see the apprehension in his eyes and realized that his training could not be undone after just a few short hours, it could take a long time before his new lover felt comfortable being himself again.

Nick turned to Mandy and changed the topic. "So what's on the agenda tonight?"

She smiled. "I thought we'd stop at one of the chain stores and pick up the basics, underclothes, toiletries, that type of thing. Later we'll hit the twenty-four hour mall for some of the outer clothing." She looked at Greg. "Gotta love Las Vegas, there's always something open in this city." Turning to Nick, she asked, "Any special requests?"

He reached over to run his fingers along the nape of Greg's neck again. "Greg could use a haircut if possible." He paused and smiled, continuing to play with the long tresses. "But not too short." He grinned at the look on Greg's face. "If that's okay with you?"

The young man just smiled and tipped his head, allowing freer access to his nape. "I like your hand in my hair," he whispered.

Mandy grinned, "Okay then, not too short. I'll remember that." She sat quietly for a few more moments, before saying, "Uh guys, if Nick doesn't get going, he'll be late for work."

Nick and Greg both startled at the sound of her voice and Nick rose to his feet. "Yeah you're right." He moved his hand slightly and brushed his thumb across Greg's lips, not feeling comfortable with a more public display of affection in front of Mandy. He crossed to his co-worker and gave her a quick peck on the cheek, slipping a folded pile of bills into her hands. "Thanks for this, Mandy." Nick stopped in the kitchen doorway and turned around. "Hit the lock on your way out. I'll call if I'm going to be late in the morning."

After he closed the door, Mandy looked back at Greg. "We okay, Greg?" she asked softly. He nodded and gave her a little grin. "Good," she said. "Just pretend I'm your older sister and we'll have a great time."

Greg stood and carried his dishes to the sink. "Can you wait while I wash these? I don't want Nick to come home to dirty dishes after work."

She nodded and crossed to the counter and emptied the remaining coffee into her cup, turning off the machine. "There you go. It should cool off enough for you to wash it by the time the other dishes are done." Greg nodded and smiled.

"I do appreciate this, Mistress Mandy." He gestured down to the clothing he was wearing. "I'm much too small for even Master Nick's old clothes."

Mandy grinned. "Yeah, I wasn't going to say anything, but you kinda look like a scarecrow without the stuffing." She was rewarded with a huge grin. "You really do need to put on a few pounds, Greg. When we pick out your clothes we need to be sure that they'll fit after a few weeks of decent eating, but that they don't just hang on your body until then."

Greg nodded. "As a child I was always thin, but I had started to fill out a bit in college." He finished rinsing the dishes and picked up the now slightly-cooled coffee pot. "I used to run. I wasn't very good at sports, but I was fast on the track. Do you think Master Nick would allow me to begin running again?"

Mandy grinned at him and gently bumped him with her shoulder. "Just ask him before you get out of bed, Greg. I doubt he'll deny you anything."

The young man blushed and turned to wipe down the countertop, as Mandy dumped the remaining coffee into the sink and rinsed out her own cup. "Let's go, Greg. I've got money burning a hole in my pocket and a need to put out the flames."

Greg chuckled and draped the dish cloth over the faucet to dry. "After you, Mistress Mandy."

"Just Mandy tonight, Greg," she requested, "remember I'm playing the role of your big sister."

"Mandy," he nodded. "Let's go before you combust, then."

As they exited the house, Greg double checked the door with a grin.

* * *

As Nick walked into the break room at the beginning of his shift, he realized he was the last one to arrive and all eyes were trained on him. He nodded at his coworkers and crossed to the coffee pot. "Is it gonna be a busy night?" he asked, attempting to direct the conversation towards work and not the fact that he had just left Greg. He knew that everyone in the room was thinking back to the last time they were all in this room together and the young man had been kneeling on the floor at his feet.

"If I say it looks light so far, I might jinx us," Grissom observed. He fingered the slip of paper in his hand. "Nick and Warrick, I want you two to stick around here and work on your case from yesterday. We need to get it sorted out a bit more. Brass has already left me three messages regarding the evidence." He turned to the female CSI's and passed out the single slip to them. "Your cases from last night look tight; seems like you two pulled the cake walks. There has only been one scene called in so far tonight, you two take it. If another comes in, I might have to pull one of you, until Nick and Warrick get theirs cleaned up. Let's hope our luck holds tonight, guys." He nodded his head at his team and walked out of the room.

Catherine walked over to Nick and smiled. "So how'd today go, Nicky?" she asked mischievously.

The other two investigators stopped in mid-stride to the door and turned to hear his answer without compunction to listen into the conversation. "Things are fine, Catherine. Thank you for the gift," Nick responded without elaborating.

"Come on," she urged. "Give me more information than that." She tilted her head and raised her eyebrows.

Nick gave her a look that could be read as 'please respect my privacy', but the look in Catherine's eyes told him she was either misreading his look, or was completely disregarding it. Warrick could see that the red-head was going to be like a dog with a bone and that Nick wasn't in the mood to discuss whatever had happened earlier with the group. "Hey Nick, let's get moving. Brass is going to be in here soon breathing down our necks. I'd like to get this case corralled so that I don't have to pull a double again."

Nick nodded and walked towards the door. "On it. See you ladies later," he added as he followed the tall man down the hallway.

Sara shook her head at the other woman. "You know how private Nick is, Catherine. I'm sure he was uncomfortable talking about what happened between him and the companion you gave him last night."

Catherine nodded. "I just wanted to be sure that everything was going okay. I started thinking today that perhaps Nick would prefer if I just took the young man back to Sam."

"Oh, I wouldn't do that just yet, Catherine," Sara grinned. "I think Nick looked relaxed tonight, at least he was until he saw us all staring at him. I think things are going just fine in the Stokes' household."

"Really?"

Sara smiled. "Oh yeah. If things had been strained, Nick would have had that little line between his eyebrows that he gets when he's upset or frustrated. Not there tonight."

Catherine grinned. "That's a relief. Well, we better get moving or Grissom will be back in here giving us disapproving stares."

The dark-haired woman nodded in agreement and they walked in tandem out of the break room.

* * *

Warrick and Nick leaned over the over-sized table sorting through evidence and photographs, and looking over the reports from the lab techs that had processed the fluids and prints. After a particularly long period of silence, Warrick asked, "So everything's fine."

"Yep," Nick responded.

"He's….?"

"Yep."

"You lucky dog," Warrick chuckled.

"Oh yeah," came an answering chuckle, as both men returned to work.

* * *

Hodges hovered outside of Grissom's open door, pacing back and forth until he heard the occupant call out in an irritated voice, "What's on your mind, Hodges?"

He quickly entered the room and stood in front of his boss. "Um Grissom, it's about Greg."

"Greg?" asked Grissom, a confused look on his face.

"Nick's new companion. His name is Greg," answered the trace tech.

Gil nodded and gestured towards the chair in front of his desk. "And….?"

"I spent quite a bit of time with him last night and we talked. Has Nick said anything to you about him?" Hodges asked, unsure what the older gentleman knew.

"We haven't discussed his companion, Hodges. Is there something that you feel I should know?" Grissom pinched the bridge of his nose. He wasn't sure he was going to like the turn this conversation was taking.

Hodges paused briefly in order to choose his words carefully. "Greg just went into companion training a year ago. Prior to that he was a student at Berkeley, graduated with honors in chemistry, with a minor in forensics. He was to have completed an internship in the coroner's office in New York City, but circumstances with his family placed him into the companionship system."

Grissom leaned back in his chair and placed his elbows on the arms of his chair, tenting his fingers in front of his face. "Forensics." He repeated to himself, looking at Hodges.

The other man nodded. "Through no fault of his own, in fact, in an act of selflessness, he was forced to give up his plans for the future and become a companion."

"If he was offered an internship in New York, he must have proven himself in college," Grissom responded. "A year ago, you said? I wonder if he sent an application here? If Ecklie received one, he may have kept it on file." The supervisor of the graveyard shift nodded to himself, before looking at Hodges again. "Do you know his last name?"

Hodges shook his head. "Sorry, that never came up. I just know that his father's business went bankrupt, and that he has a sister about eight years younger than him. Oh, and that from the questions he asked last night, and the comments he made, he really knows his business. He would have done New York proud."

"Let me do some investigating on my part, Hodges." The younger man nodded. "Thanks for bringing this information to me. Nick pulled a double last night, I'm not even sure he's taken the time to sit down and talk to his new companion."

Hodges stood and walked to the door before turning around to face the supervisor of the graveyard shift again. "I don't know if it's permissible, but if you decide that Greg is capable, I would be glad to take on his training in this lab if an internship could be arranged."

Grissom nodded. "I thought you'd feel that way, since you brought this information to my attention. Let me check into things, talk to Nick, and then, perhaps, talk to Greg. I'll get back to you, I promise." Hodges turned again towards the door before being stopped by Grissom for one last comment. "Thank you for bringing this to my attention, David."

"No, thank you Grissom, for being willing to look into it further." With that, Hodges nodded and left the office. Grissom continued to sit for a moment before reaching for the telephone.

* * *

Mandy strode through the store confidently, picking up items and asking Greg questions as she walked up and down the aisles, the young man following her pushing the cart. "Boxers or briefs, Greg," she queried, as she held up a package of each and examined them.

Greg glanced around to see if anyone was in hearing distance and sighed. He was beginning to feel that this shopping trip was going to be work, as opposed to fun. When he didn't respond immediately the fingerprint tech turned with a smile. "I suppose we could pick you up thongs, Nick would probably like those."

"If you think it's best, Mandy," he began, with a grimace, "but…"

"I'm teasing, Greg. Nick won't care as long as you're comfortable. In fact, he'd probably prefer you to not wear any at all," she snickered.

Greg sighed and shook his head. "You, Mis….Mandy, are incorrigible. I would really prefer the type that are briefs, but longer, like boxers. Do they have them here?"

Mandy searched the shelves and found what he was describing. "These the ones, Greg?" When he nodded, she added several packages to the cart and headed towards the t-shirts. Greg gave another sigh and followed behind with the cart.

* * *

Grissom couldn't raise anyone in Ecklie's office, which didn't surprise him, and he wasn't about to bother the head of department at home during the graveyard shift asking for information that was only available here in the office, or not at all. He'd have to wait until morning to talk to Ecklie or his secretary. He could, however, talk to Nick. Grissom wondered if Nick knew any of the information provided to him by Hodges, and doubted he did. Nick had only been off shift for less than eight hours and, Grissom knew, several of those hours had to have been devoted to sleep. Nick had not had the same kind of time to talk to Greg that Hodges had had the night before.

The graveyard shift supervisor wondered if he could get any information from the university website. The only information he had was a first name, major and possible year. Grissom decided to give it a shot. He knew that he was going to be unable to focus on his other paperwork until he had at least given it a try. If he couldn't find anything, then he'd call Nick into his office and see what additional information he had, if any.

Gil hadn't had a chance to get to know the young man last night, but Hodges had been impressed and that peaked Grissom's interest. The trace tech didn't impress easily, generally his comments about the skills of others were snarky and condescending. However, even if it became apparent that Greg could fill the spot of an intern in the lab, would Nick permit it? Grissom didn't know how Nick viewed the young man delivered into his care. Would he want him to live a somewhat normal lifestyle, or would he keep him chained to the bedroom, figuratively, at least Gil hoped?

Catherine had at least made their lives more interesting in the short term, perhaps in the long term also. Gil opened his laptop and began typing.

* * *

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	5. Chapter 5

AN: Don't own 'em, just love 'em.

Thanks for the reviews! Sorry I haven't had time to respond to them this chapter. Kind of a busy week at work and I had to pull some long hours. However, I did spend my off time typing. LOL Enjoy!

* * *

Nick and Warrick worked throughout the night on their case and Grissom had been true to his word to keep them off any other cases until their case was ready for Brass to do his thing and arrest a suspect. By the end of shift the CSI's had all their ducks in a row and had handed everything off to the police officer.

The Texan was looking forward to getting off shift on time and walked down the hallway towards the locker room with a spring in his step. As he turned the corner he met Grissom coming from the direction of Ecklie's office.

"Could you please stop in in my office before you leave, Nick?" he asked.

Nick nodded. "Is this about our case, Gris?" he asked, "or am I in trouble?" He gave a little chuckle, but it sounded a slightly forced.

"Nobody's in trouble, Nick. In fact, just the opposite. Go get your things together and then stop by. I won't keep you more than a few minutes, I promise."

Nick nodded and continued into the locker room to gather his belongings, after which he wandered in the direction of Grissom's office. He knocked on the door before opening it and closed it behind him as his supervisor gestured towards a chair.

Grissom pulled off his eyeglasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose. Nick felt his stomach tighten. Something was wrong; he could feel it in his bones. He quickly thought back over the last couple of days hoping to determine what might have been the problem.

Settling his hands on his desk, Grissom sat up straight. "Nick could you confirm Greg's last name for me?" he asked hopefully.

"Greg's last name?" Nick repeated, wondering what was going on. "I'm sorry, Gris. We didn't talk much last night. I was so wiped out after shift; I went straight to bed after picking him up at Mandy's." Technically he wasn't lying to his boss and the two men really hadn't talked about Greg's past.

Grissom nodded and continued. "It appears that Hodges and Greg did spend quite a bit of time talking while he was here, and Greg passed on some information to David that was interesting. According to Greg, he was taken into companionship a year ago to cover his father's debt, saving his younger sister from being taken instead. He had just graduated from Berkeley with a degree in chemistry, minor in forensics. Last fall he was intended for an internship in New York in the coroner's office."

Nick listened, realizing that Grissom wouldn't take that information at face value. "You've been checking into his story…?"

"I have, but I can't confirm anything until I have Greg's last name."

Nick pulled out his cell phone and punched out Mandy's phone number. "Hey Mandy," he began when she answered. "I'm still at work, but I shouldn't be much longer. I'm working on some paperwork for Greg. Insurance, that type of thing." He grimaced at the lie, but didn't want Greg questioning his queries. "Could you put Greg on the line for me, please?"

As he waited for Greg, he covered the phone with his hand and whispered to Grissom, "I can get him on my insurance, can't I?" When his boss nodded, Nick felt better about his untruth.

"Hey Greg, I'm leaving in just a few minutes, but I need to get some paperwork done here to get you covered by my insurance. Could you give me your last name, birthday and social security number?" Nick repeated the information back, as Grissom listened to his words and double checked the papers resting on the desk in front of him. "Thanks, buddy. I'll be at Mandy's soon. Save me some breakfast, okay?"

He closed his phone and looked at his supervisor. "Is it him?"

Grissom nodded. "Yeah. I checked with Ecklie's secretary. Greg sent an application for internship here about eighteen months ago. When Ecklie finally accepted him for placement, he found out that Greg had already accepted a post in New York. According to Frieda, it really pissed Conrad off not to get Greg."

Nick nodded and Grissom watched as the younger man began biting at his lower lip. "Gris, if we could keep Greg's status as a companion secret, could we bring him in as an intern?"

The graveyard shift supervisor nodded. "Hodges has already requested him in his lab, and I believe that Mandy would probably be acceptable to the situation also," he asked in the form of a statement.

Grissom could see the wheels turning in Nick's head as he nodded. "Mandy would have no problem with Greg. She already sees him as a younger brother." He looked at Gil. "The only other people we would have to talk to would be Warrick, Sara and Catherine. And, of course, Catherine's father would know."

"I doubt Sam would make the connection, but it should be viewed as an obstacle, I suppose." Nick nodded in agreement. "Before we begin the paperwork for Greg's insurance, why don't you talk to him and see if he's interested in an internship. I don't want there to be a problem of him being connected to you in any way hindering his acceptance by Ecklie. I imagine he'll be accepted on his own merit, but Ecklie can be particular about fraternization."

Nick nodded. "Gil, thanks for following up on Hodges information. I guess I'll have to thank him, huh?"

Gil smiled. "Only if you're agreeable to the possibility of having Greg here in the lab and not chained up in your bedroom."

Nick's wide eyes swung up to meet Grissom's in astonishment. "Uh…I…. What do you mean, Gil?"

"You looked happy when you walked in last night, Nick. I take it that things were good between you two boys before shift?" he smiled faintly at his teammate.

"Yeah, Gris. Really good." Nick blushed and smiled, adding, "But I don't see me keeping him chained up in my bedroom. That's not my style."

"That great, Nick. I'm glad Catherine's gift turned out so well. I had my misgivings," he acknowledged.

"Me, too, Gris. Me, too," he agreed. "Well I better get moving. Mandy's making breakfast for us. She took Greg shopping last night and, hopefully, they purchased some items that will be appropriate for the lab, if Greg agrees."

Grissom chuckled. "Get out of here, Nicky. I'll see you tonight."

Nick gave a half wave as he exited the office and started down the hallway. Grissom turned back to the paperwork spread across his desk and grinned. If everything worked out alright, perhaps they would be giving Greg back the life taken from him a year ago.

* * *

Mandy let Nick into her apartment and led him into the kitchen. Greg was at the counter whisking eggs with abandon. Nick gave an appreciative sniff. "I smell fresh coffee, and is that cinnamon rolls?"

"Close," Mandy answered, "it's coffee cake. Have a seat, as soon as Greg gives those eggs a break and dumps them in the pan, we'll be ready to eat."

Greg turned and gave a smile. "Just waiting on you to pour the coffee and get the fruit out of the frig, Mandy."

Nick grinned at Greg's use of his coworker's first name. That was a very positive sign. He also was taken aback by Greg's new look. His long hair had been cut into a very stylish, slightly messy look. The length was still acceptable by Nick's standards, but would be fine if Greg accepted a position as an intern in the lab. "Looking good, Greg," he said and was rewarded by a smile.

He accepted a cup of hot coffee from Mandy and settled down at the table behind one of the place settings. "So, scrambled eggs, coffee cake and fruit. That's kind of a frou-frou breakfast, Mandy."

The dark-haired woman turned and shook a spatula at Nick. "Don't be dissing my food, Stokes," she countered, opening the oven door. She reached in and took out the warming coffee cake and then reached back in for a pan of warming sausage. "Don't be late next time and we won't have to stick the food in the oven to stay heated."

Nick laughed. "Sorry, Mistress Mandy. I apologize for my remarks." He looked to see Greg turn and smile over his shoulder at the joking couple. "Could you use any help over there, Greg?"

"Naw, I got it covered. It'll only be a couple of more minutes." He rested his spatula on the stove and opened the refrigerator door to pull out the bowl of fresh berries and pineapple and a carton of orange juice.

Nick reached out for the juice. "Let me pour that, while you get the eggs." Greg nodded and turned back to the stove, finding Mandy getting a bowl out for the eggs.

When everything was setting on the table and the three had settled down to eat, Nick asked about the shopping trip.

Greg shifted uncomfortably on his chair, as Mandy smiled, "We did really well with the money you gave us, but I made a list of things he still needs."

"I have more than I need. Really." He looked at Nick and leaned toward him, whispering, "We can take some of it back, the tags are still attached."

Nick looked back and forth between the two and realized that the shopping experience had been one of possible dissension at times. "So Mandy, what does he still need?" he asked, much to Greg's chagrin.

"A nice jacket, maybe a suit and dress shoes, and a really good pair of running shoes," she stated matter-of-factly.

Nick could see Greg shaking his head in denial. "Running shoes?"

Mandy reached across the table and poked Greg. "Ask him," she prodded.

Greg looked at her and gave a dirty grin. "I thought I was supposed to wait until we were in bed?" Mandy laughed at the remark and Nick raised his eyebrows.

"And why, pray tell, were you supposed to wait until we were in bed?"he asked, looking closely at Greg.

"So you would be more receptive, of course." Greg blushed and looked down at the table.

Nick nodded. "That would work. But why would I possibly be adverse to you having a good pair of running shoes, Greg?"

The young man took a deep breath. "I used to run for exercise. I even ran track in school. I'd like to begin again, if that's alright with you."

"I don't see that being a problem, Greg. Would you have a problem if I ran with you? I try to jog as often as I can, but could really use someone to keep me accountable."

Greg looked up and grinned at his Master. "I would like to have you as a running partner, Nick."

"Great, that's settled. We'll pick up those shoes as soon as possible then. And we'll look at the other things Mandy thinks you need also."

Mandy nodded her head and finished her eggs and sausage, reaching for the bowl of fruit. "I have your receipts in an envelope. I'll get them after we eat."

"Toss them," said Nick. "I don't plan on taking anything back, unless you picked it out and Greg didn't really like it." He looked at Greg, who shook his head in denial and Mandy smiled. Nick nodded. "Toss them, Mandy. Nothing's going back."

* * *

Nick helped Greg carry his bags into the house, careful not to discuss the quantity of the purchases, knowing Greg would be worried about the money involved. It was more than Nick like to spend at any one time, but his bank account was healthy enough to cover the expenditure without too huge a hiccup.

"Let's leave these here until later," he said setting his bags on the floor beside the couch. Greg followed suit and looked at Nick with a smile, waiting for his Master to announce his intentions. "Come here," he indicated, moving over to sit on the sofa.

Greg walk to the front of the sofa and Nick could tell he was having an inner debate about sitting on the couch or kneeling in front of it. "There is no more kneeling, Greg. Ever. Do you understand? I don't care where we are. If we go someplace and you are expected to kneel, then we leave. I will not have you subjected to that."

Giving a sigh, Greg settled on the couch and turned his body more fully to face Nick, waiting to find out what was intended. Nick reached out and took one of the young man's hands into his own, turning it over and running a finger across the palm. "When I got your information for the insurance, Greg, Grissom realized that your name had been on a list of possible interns for our department last spring." Nick felt the stillness that came over Greg, as it radiated from his body. "Want to talk about what happened last year?" he asked cautiously.

"My father's business went bankrupt," Greg began quietly. "When I came home after graduation, there were men there trying to take my sister as payment for the remaining debt. I took her place. She was so young." He paused and took a deep breath before beginning again. "I had applied to your department, and was hoping to be accepted as it was closer to my family, but I didn't hear from Las Vegas, and New York called. I accepted there first. I couldn't tell the other department I changed my mind after hearing from Las Vegas, it wouldn't have been professional."

Nick nodded in agreement. "Would you be interested in interning in Las Vegas now, Greg?"

Greg looked at Nick in amazement. "Would it even be permitted?"

The Texan shrugged. "I don't have a problem with it, and neither does Grissom. In fact, he's the one that broached the subject with me. And it seems that you have a fan in David Hodges, as well."

Greg smiled. "Master David is a kind soul."

Nick was now the one looking on in amazement. "Hodges?" Greg gave a broader smile and nodded. "Okay, then," the older man said, still unsure of the veracity of the statement.

"We'll have to talk to Warrick, Sara, Catherine and Mandy. Grissom thinks it will be easier if your status as a companion is not made public." Greg nodded in understanding. "That means you can not revert to companion-mode at the lab, around coworkers, or anywhere in public. Is that understood?" Greg nodded again.

"Nick, what about here in your home. Is it permitted for me to act as your companion in the privacy of your home?" he asked hesitantly.

Nick looked closely at his young charge. "It's our home now, Greg." He was rewarded with a small nod. Nick reached forward and used one finger to tilt Greg's chin upward slightly so that the young man was looking him in the eyes. "Do you like being in companion-mode, Greg?" he asked softly.

Greg bit his lower lip before opening his mouth to answer. "Honestly, I don't know if I like being in companion-mode, or if I just like the idea of you having control over me, Nick. Two days ago I might have been able to answer your question, but now I'm confused with what is my training and what is my need."

"Greg." Nick's voice came out sounding pained and full of desire. He slid the hand that had been tilting Greg's chin around to cup his cheek. "I love that you're so open about your feelings, but I need to know if you really wanted what we shared yesterday. Or did you only participate because you thought I wanted it."

The young man in front of him moved closer, pressing a soft kiss to his lips. "I wanted you, Nick. It was torture to lie in your bed and not touch you."

Nick groaned and reached out with both hands to cradle the head in front of him. "Thank God," he responded, covering the soft lips in front him with his own, using his hands to slant Greg's head to the best possible angle.

Greg shifted his body to straddle Nick's powerful thighs and was rewarded by the movement of Nick's hands to his hips, as they curved around to cup his ass and pull him closer. "Been thinking of you inside me all night. I could feel the void you left," Greg whispered into Nick's ear. Hearing the other man's breathing hitching in response caused the slender man to quiver in Nick's arms.

"Did I hurt you yesterday?" Nick asked, pulling back slightly, concern showing on his face.

Greg chuckled. "It was a good hurt, Nick. I'd love it if I could walk around twenty-four seven with that feeling." He leaned forward and pressed himself as close to Nick as he could, rubbing the front of his borrowed jeans against their owner and feeling both their erections straining against the soft, worn material.

Nick groaned again, realizing that it was a sound that was becoming all too familiar when he was around the young man wrapped in his arms. He took a deep breath and rested his head in the crook of Greg's shoulder. "I need to slow down for a minute or this will be over before it's even truly begun," he muttered against the warm skin of Greg's neck.

Greg used the fact that Nick was leaning forward onto his body to pull the shirt under his hands up and away from the waistband it was trapped in, slipping his hands underneath to trail across the warm, wide expanse of Nick's back. Nick's answering groan was muffled against his neck and the vibration caused him to shiver. "So good, Nick. Right there," he whimpered.

Nick kissed the spot under his mouth and opened his lips to lave the area with his tongue, feeling Greg arch against him at the touch. 'This was real,' he thought, 'this was not companion-mode. This was true want and need.'

Greg was thrusting himself against Nick's lower body now and it was all Nick could do to slow things down. He began murmuring soft, quiet words trying to still Greg's movement, rubbing slow, gentle circles on his back. "It's okay, Greg. Take it easy. We'll get there, sweetheart. Let's make it to our bed first, huh?"

Nick kept up the soothing motion and after a bit realized he had gentled Greg's movements until he lay, breathing heavily, against Nick's chest, his forehead resting on his shoulder. "Ready to take this to the bedroom?" he asked quietly, running his fingers through Greg's now shorter hair, beginning on his upper back and finally finishing at the back of his head.

"If you can help me stand," Greg whispered against his collar bone. "I think my bones have turned to mush."

"Not all of them," Nick chuckled, as he shifted Greg off of his lap and stood, holding out his hands to pull the young man up from the sofa. "But soon."

* * *

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	6. Chapter 6

AN: Don't own 'em, just love 'em.

* * *

Nick carried his cereal bowl to the sink and turned to Greg with a smile. "We're going to have to go shopping for more quick breakfast foods soon," he chuckled. "I'm having a hard time getting out of bed early enough to cook a proper breakfast and still get to work on time."

"I'd cook you a proper breakfast, if you'd let me out of bed," Greg grinned back.

"Yeah, like that's gonna happen," the Texan laughed.

Greg crossed the room to wrap his arms around Nick's waist and leaned in to place a kiss on his neck. "If you don't have to work overtime in the morning, we could go grocery shopping. At least I could make sure you had a hot meal before you went to bed then."

"Sounds good," Nick replied slipping his arms around the slender man in front of him. "Besides I want to pick you up a cell phone and look for those running shoes."

Greg ran his fingers along Nick's torso. "We could forget the running shoes for awhile. If we aren't leaving bed to eat, I doubt we'll leave bed to go running."

Nick chuckled in response, "I guess you're right about that." He looked at the clock. "Shit, I gotta leave." He bent forward and captured Greg's lips, caressing them with his tongue before deepening the kiss. Greg whimpered and pulled back as Nick ended the kiss. "We'll finish this later," Nick grinned.

"I'll be thinking about it all day," answered Greg breathily. He followed Nick to the front door and stood against the jamb as Nick walked out to his truck and then backed out of the driveway. Closing the door Greg walked into the kitchen to wash the bowls, spoons and cups littering the sink.

That chore completed, he wandered into the guest room and grimaced at he disarray. He knew he wasn't going to be staying in the room anytime soon, but he could still help Nick out with the task. After this job was completed, he decided, he'd find somewhere to keep his new wardrobe. He knew after spending last night in Nick's bed that he wasn't going anywhere. Nick wanted him and had made that evident in every gesture and word spoken during the multiple times they had both woken up entangled. Greg could still feel the aftereffects of their lovemaking and relished the reminder to their night together, and anticipated the morning when Nick would once again be home and in their bed.

* * *

Grissom walked into the break room where his four team members stood nursing cups of coffee. "I need to talk to everyone before I give out cases," he said. Looking at Catherine, he nodded once, "You're first, in my office. Nick I want you to join us in ten minutes." He looked over to Sara and Warrick, "We'll be back in here soon after, then I'll talk to the whole group together." He nodded to the red-head and started out the door, Catherine following and giving a questioning glance back to her other teammates.

The remaining CSI's looked at each other puzzlement. Nick had an idea of what was going to be discussed in the group meeting, but Grissom pulling Catherine in prior to the talk was mystifying to him.

As Grissom closed the door and gestured to the chair in front of his desk, Catherine took the offensive. "Gil, I don't know what you think I've done, but I can't recall doing anything that would get me called on the carpet like this."

Her supervisor looked at her steadily. "Why, do you think you're in trouble, Catherine?"

"I'm not? Then why pull me into your office in front of the team. Usually that's reserved for when we have a major screw up. You generally hand out good news in front of the entire group." Catherine pointed out matter-of-factly.

Grissom nodded. "You're right, Catherine, and I apologize. You're not in trouble per se, but I would like to clear up a small issue that is troubling me."

Catherine raised her hands and spread out her fingers. "Whatever it is, let's get it on the table so we can move on, Gil."

The graying-haired man looked at her carefully and said, "It's about Greg."

"Greg? Who the hell is Greg?" Catherine asked, looking lost.

Grissom tilted his head and rubbed his chin. "He's the young man you delivered to Nick a couple of nights ago."

Catherine sat back. "I thought things were going well between them. Does he want me to take the companion back to Sam? He could have mentioned it to me personally. He didn't have to go through you, Gil."

"You misunderstand, Catherine," he said. "Nick hasn't come to me. However, I have seen how invested he is becoming with Greg, both emotionally and financially. He's purchased the young man a new wardrobe already." He paused and tapped his computer screen. "I've been doing a little research and have found that until Nick gets the proper paperwork on Greg, technically he still belongs to Sam Braun. I'm concerned that unless Nick is covered legally, Sam may eventually decide to reclaim Greg. That would be highly unfortunate for both of them, don't you agree?"

Catherine nodded. "I didn't realize. So you want me to get the 'title' to Greg transferred to Nick?"

"As soon as possible please. But Catherine, a gift of that size from a casino owner to a member of our department could look highly inappropriate." Grissom waited for his second-in-command to pick up the thread he was dropping.

She did smoothly. "But a gift to his daughter would not be a problem; a later gift from coworker to coworker would not be viewed as possibly being a payoff or bribe."

Grissom nodded. "I'd like it if you could take care of this matter before the end of shift tonight, Catherine. The sooner, the better, I believe."

"If you don't have a call out for me, I'll handle it right after our group meeting."

He nodded and smiled, as there was a knock on the door. "Come in, Nick."

The dark-haired man came in looking back and forth between the couple sitting around the desk as he closed the door. Grissom tilted his head toward Catherine and spoke, "Nick, it has come to my attention that proper title to Greg has not yet been provided to you. Catherine will be taking a trip to the Rampart after our group meeting to pick it up from her father. Hopefully she can get it to you before the end of shift."

Nick looked over to Catherine and smiled. "I'd appreciate that, Catherine. I guess I'd never considered that aspect of the gift."

"I'm sorry to say, that I hadn't either, Nick. I'm glad you're pleased with Greg. I want to make sure that there is no question as to his ownership." Catherine turned to Grissom. "Is there anything else before we have our group meeting?"

Gil shook his head. "You two go ahead back to the break room, I'll be there in a couple of minutes." Nick opened the door and held it open for the female CSI, closing it after they left. The graveyard shift supervisor stood and walked to the door and upon leaving, turned the opposite direction toward the labs.

* * *

Greg looked about the guest bedroom wondering where to start. He began with the clothing piled on the bed and began to sort through it. He smiled as he caught Nick's scent on a stack of t-shirts. Greg sifted through the pile, realizing that, while many of the shirts were soft and worn and still a little large for him, they would work fine for running or doing chores and yard work. He began to look at the clothing in a new light and returned to the first pile he had sorted with a new eye. Greg could probably find several items to add to his wardrobe within Nick's castoffs. The rest he would box or bag to take to Goodwill. Perhaps there might even be one close to the grocery store and they could eliminate some of the excess in the morning.

* * *

Grissom entered the break room for the second time that night, but this time he had Mandy and Hodges with him. Warrick, Sara and Catherine were looking about in confusion. Although Gil had called group meetings before, never had he included any of the lab techs.

As soon as everyone was seated Gil closed the door and stood at the head of the long table. "First off, anything that is said within this room right now is not to be repeated or talked about outside of our group for reasons that I'll explain as I continue." He glanced around, glad to see that he had everyone's attention.

"We all know that a couple of nights ago, Catherine presented Nick with a companion as a birthday gift. From information obtained during discussions with Greg and later investigation of that information, it appears that Greg graduated with high honors in chemistry from Berkeley, with a minor in forensics and had been offered an internship here by Ecklie last year, however family circumstances instead took his life down the path to his current placement with Nick."

Grissom watched as his team reacted to the information being presented. "I'd like to talk to Ecklie and re-offer the position to Greg, placing him under the direct supervision of David, with Mandy as back up. The difficulty I see in this scenario is the fact that Greg is now Nick's companion. Ecklie has always had a problem with co-workers being involved in any fashion. In order for this to work out, there must be no mention of Greg's status as a companion at all. We would have to treat him as any other individual working on our shift."

Sara raised her hand slightly and Grissom pointed at her. "Gil, as much as I'd like this to work out, the young man that was here the other night obviously portrayed himself as a companion. Even if we tried to treat him as an equal, I don't think he could pull it off." She looked at Nick. "Sorry Nick, but that's how I saw him."

Nick nodded. "Greg was deeply in companion-mode when he was here last. We've been working on eliminating those behaviors in private. I really haven't been out with him in public yet, although Mandy took him shopping last night."

The group shifted their eyes to Mandy, who smiled. "He did really well last night, and only needed a couple of reminders to not use the terms 'mistress' or 'master'. I think that in no time at all most of his 'companion behaviors' could be extinguished completely. He was only in training for a year. He had many years in society prior to that training; he just needs time to reestablish his previous behaviors."

Warrick shifted forward and placed his lower arms on top of the table. "So I'm thinking that Ecklie won't have a problem with Greg on any other shift, but we need to keep him on this shift to protect him."

Grissom nodded in agreement. "I'd feel more comfortable with him being on our shift. I know I've heard horror stories of unaccompanied companions being viewed as 'available' by some individuals. Until Greg feels comfortable and is capable of standing up for himself, I want him to have the protection of our group. I'm sure if things go as I hope we could include some of the other techs as well, but for right now I'd like to keep this our little secret. If anyone here doesn't feel like they want to be a part of our little coalition, please let me know. I'd hope that anyone not wanting to help will at least not hinder our plans."

Warrick looked from Grissom to Nick. "I'm in. Anything I can do to help, just ask."

Hodges stood. "You know where I stand, Gil. He's going to make a top notch lab tech from what I seen and heard from him."

"What he said," Mandy answered. "Greg's a real sweetie. He got a bum deal. I'm glad we have the opportunity to help him out."

Sara shrugged her shoulders. "I'm willing to try."

Grissom nodded at them all and looked at Catherine. "Guess that's my cue to go talk to dear old dad," she said. "We can't go forward until Greg's paperwork is completed."

Nick smiled at his teammates. "Thanks guys, you don't know how much Greg is going to appreciate this. I'd like for all of us to get together outside of work so you can all meet him properly."

"There will be time for that later, Nick. I don't anticipate getting everything squared away for another week, or two. That will give Greg some more time to acclimate. I'm going to have to finesse Ecklie, but I need to determine the best way to go about it." Grissom looked around the room and smiled. "I'll let everyone know when the next step can be taken." He nodded at Hodges and Mandy, "You two back to work." Turning to his CSI's he began to pass out the inevitable slips of paper designating crime scenes needing investigation, taking the one he would have normally given to Catherine for himself. He definitely needed to get out of the lab for a few hours, and hoped for more than a cakewalk, but not a scene that would blossom into a double, or even a triple shift.

* * *

Catherine pulled up in front of the Rampart and tossed her keys to the valet. "Hi Bobby, is Sam inside?"

The long-time employee nodded. "I believe so, Miss Willows. He hasn't requested his private car or the driver for the town car tonight. Of course, he may have slipped out and taken alternate transportation."

Catherine smiled in appreciation. "Thanks for the information, Bobby." She slipped a folded bill into his hand as she walked past.

Entering the casino she headed straight to an information counter and eyed the staff behind the marble slab deciding which employee would be the most helpful. She gave a sigh of relief when she recognized another long-term employee who knew who she was and would get her in touch with Sam quickly.

"Hi Jean," she said, as she walked toward the end of the counter where the woman was working at a computer. "Is Sam in and available?"

Jean smiled at Sam's daughter. "Well he's in, but I'll have to see if he's free at the moment. A couple of whales came in tonight and he was showing them around personally. Why don't you take a seat in the lounge and I'll see if I can scare him up for you?"

"I'm on duty tonight, Jean. How about I wait in the coffee shop?" Catherine countered.

The floor manager smiled. "No problem. I'll let him know where you're waiting."

The red-head nodded her thanks and crossed the crowded room towards the coffee shop at the west end of the casino.

Catherine didn't have time to finish her danish and cup of coffee before her father arrived. "To what do I owe this honor, sweetheart. Twice in one week. That's a new record for us," Sam teased, lowering himself in the booth opposite his daughter.

"Hey, Sam. Jean said you were showing around a couple of whales. Going to pull in a couple of million off of them?" Catherine joked as she set her cup back on the table.

Sam chuckled. "I have high hopes of that, but I don't think you're here to ask about my whales." He looked at his daughter with questioning eyes. "What's brought you here without being summoned, Catherine?"

She looked at him and shrugged her shoulders. "You always could read me, Sam. I need something from you."

Sam sat back and looked at her closely. "Not another birthday gift, surely. Those companions don't come cheap."

"No, not another gift," Catherine began, "just the paperwork for the last one. I didn't realize that until the paperwork is completed that companion still belongs to you."

"Aww." The casino owner shifted in his chair and gave a small nod. "Yes, technically the young man still belongs to me."

"I'd appreciate that paperwork, Sam." She watched as her father's eyes shifted away from her face towards a spot somewhere behind her head. "You were planning on passing along the paperwork on him, weren't you?"

"Muggs…."

"Don't Muggs, me, Sam. I can not go back to my coworker, who is becoming emotionally involved with that companion, and tell him my father is someday going to swoop down and snatch him away. I need that paperwork."

Sam looked Catherine in the eyes. "That boy was expensive, honey. Trust my daughter to pick the highest-priced merchandise on display."

"I don't care what he cost you, Sam. A gift is a gift. You should have placed restrictions on my selection, but you didn't. I want that paperwork now."

The older man's eyes became flinty. "And if I refuse, Catherine? You know I don't like ultimatums."

Catherine looked at her father and sat back in her chair. "Well Sam, I guess that's your decision to make. But, it's a decision that you'll have to live with. If you take that boy back and hurt my friend and coworker, well then, I guess I'll have to make a decision, too. And I can tell you upfront that Nick has never lied to me. If your lie ends up hurting him, then my decision will be very easy to make."

"I don't want to hurt you, Muggs," Sam stated.

"Then don't," Catherine said matter-of-factly.

Sam sat for a moment staring at his daughter before smiling. "You are more like me, than you want to admit, Muggs." He reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone, hitting a single button. "Edward, please find the paperwork on the companion we were unable to complete processing Tuesday. I'm in the coffee shop. I'd like you to bring the paperwork and your notary seal." He closed the phone and returned it to his pocket, placing his hands on the table and lacing his fingers together. "So have you talked to your mother today?"

* * *

All reviews are appreciated! Hope you are enjoying the story!


	7. Chapter 7

AN: Don't own 'em, just love 'em.

* * *

Greg finished the guest room with a contented sigh. He had piled several bags and boxes of clothing along a wall, intending with Nick's permission, of course, to help deliver them to Goodwill. A stack of clothing that, although too big right now, he could wear if needed, was piled on the end of the bed. Various sporting goods had been taken into the garage and placed on shelves, or had been hung up on hooks that he supposed had been intended to hold them initially.

Walking to the kitchen to get a snack, Greg passed by the sacks on the living room floor that contained the spoils of his shopping spree with Mandy. He'd wait to find out where Nick would like him to keep his things, but until then the bags of clothing could now be put on the cleared off bed in the guest room. Making a note to look for hangers, Greg continued on into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator door. They definitely needed groceries, he grinned, selecting the last apple from the crisper drawer. It was either go grocery shopping, or Nick was going to experience the companion training diet.

Greg bit down into the piece of fruit with enjoyment, realizing it was the first item in a year that he had totally selected on his own without someone telling him he could or should eat. He faltered and struggled to swallow the first bite, staring at the piece of fruit in his hand for several minutes. Nick, he told himself, wanted Greg to lose the inhibitions of companionship. He wanted him to react as if he were not a piece of property. Greg raised the apple to his mouth and took another bite, eating all the crisp flesh, until only the core remained. It was the best apple he could ever remember having eaten.

* * *

Catherine left the Rampart with the paperwork in her possession. She began to realize how terribly hurt Nick would have been if Grissom hadn't taken it upon himself to educate himself on the sales or gifting of companions. Catherine had no illusions about Sam. She knew he would have recovered Greg and put him to work in the casino sometime in the near future.

The fact that Sam had wanted to keep the young man, saying he was the most expensive in the group, led Catherine to believe that Greg had been trained as a true pleasure companion. She pulled the papers from her pocket and flipped on the dome light in her car. Yep, pleasure companion, in black and white. No wonder Nick had come to work the last couple of days in such a good mood. Catherine turned off the overhead light, placed the papers back in her jacket pocket, and buckled her seatbelt. Her thoughts strayed to the paperwork stating her as Greg's new owner. She owned a pleasure companion, at least on paper. It was too bad that she'd never get to experience the education he'd received during his training.

Catherine reached back into her pocket and pulled out her cell phone. As she waited for an answer on the other end she looked at herself in the rearview mirror, realizing she wasn't ready to settle for a pleasure companion. She still hoped to find the love of her life somewhere out here on the streets of Las Vegas. Achieving a connection, she quickly reached her free hand up to realign her mirror for driving and spoke, "Got it taken care of Gris. Where do you want me?"

* * *

Nick entered his house, but before he could even close the door, Greg was there, his body close and tense. The Texan could almost hear the unspoken words coming from the young man in front of him, 'touch me'. Pushing the door closed with his foot, Nick pulled the slight body in tightly and whispered against his cheek, "Missed you."

"Me too," Greg whispered in response, raising his hands to Nick's back. "I ate an apple," he added quietly.

Nick pulled away gently and looked him in the eyes. "Is that all you ate tonight? You need to eat more. Whenever I hold you I'm afraid I'll break you."

Greg smiled and shook his head. "I ate an apple. No one told me I could, or I should. I just did, all on my own. I chose it and it tasted so good."

The dark-haired CSI stared into the face of the man before him suddenly realizing the import of those four words. "I'm proud of you, sweetheart. I want you to be able to make choices on your own, be your own person, and eat your own damn apple if you want one." His words made Greg's smile even broader.

"I did something else tonight, too," he said running his fingers up and down Nick's back.

"Well, are you going to tell me, or do I have to guess?" Nick asked, enjoying the little game they were playing.

Greg stepped back from Nick's body and took his hand, pulling him towards the hallway leading to the bedrooms. The older man smiled, thinking about how eager his new lover was to jump back into bed, when their forward momentum stopped outside of the guest room. Greg opened the door and stood back to the side to allow Nick to enter before him.

Nick looked at the cleaned room and at the bags from Greg and Mandy's shopping expedition piled on the bed and stopped cold. Greg, who couldn't see Nick's face, stepped up behind his owner and wrapped his arms around Nick's waist, resting his head on the broad back in front of him. "You won't have to spend your day off cleaning this room, Nick. I hope I did a good enough job."

Nick swallowed heavily. Greg had cleaned the room that Nick had told him would be his own, however, that was before Nick had had the opportunity to hold the young man in his arms and experience how satisfying sharing a bed with him would be. Now Greg had the promised room, and had even brought in his new things to be unpacked.

"You've been busy," Nick managed to choke out. "Got your room cleaned out, just have to unpack now. Do you need help cleaning out the drawers and closet, or did you already manage to do that, too?"

Nick felt Greg's arms slowly slip from his body and the warmth of his chest leave his back. He turned to see the young man appear to wilt in front of his eyes.

"I'm sorry, Mas….Nick. I shouldn't have taken it upon myself to go through your things. I was only trying to help." Nick couldn't see Greg's eyes beneath their lowered lids, but he could see a single tear slip past the long lashes to roll down a sharp cheekbone.

Nick reached out to wipe the tear away and cupping Greg's cheek, stroked the soft skin under the watery eye. "I'm not mad, Greg. I'm just a bit disappointed. Now you have the room I promised you and …. Well I guess I'm going to miss you in my bed."

Greg quickly raised his eyes and met Nick's. "I didn't clean the room to get out of your bed, Master Nick. I did it to help you and stay busy. Please," he swallowed, "don't make me sleep in here."

With a groan, Nick pulled Greg tightly to his body and rested his forehead on that of the younger man. "Thank god," he murmured.

"No," Greg said quietly, "Thank Mistress Catherine."

* * *

Nick couldn't wipe the stupid grin off of his face as he watched Greg in the grocery store. The two men had finally wandered in after dumping off a truckload of discarded clothing at the second-hand store and stopping for breakfast sandwiches at a fast food restaurant.

"Twinkies and Ho Ho's," he heard Greg sigh. "I haven't seen these in over a year." Nick reached forward and dropped a box of each into their cart to join the exploding pile of prepackaged foods Greg had missed since leaving his prior life, grinning at the look he received from the skinny young man in front of him.

"You do realize, don't you, that if all you eat now is this garbage, you won't just fill out, you'll blow up like a balloon? We do need to purchase some unprocessed food, too. How about we hit the outside edge of the store for awhile." He pointed off into various directions. "Dairy, produce, meat department."

Greg nodded. "Yeah, I want to be able to cook you some nice meals." He took a few steps and turned around, biting his lip slightly. "Nick?"

The older man shook his head with a smile. "Go ahead and put it in the cart, Greg," he said, believing that the man had found another snack food he needed to re-experience.

"It's not that." Greg looked at him nervously. "I do want to cook you nice meals, but I…well I…." Nick waited for him to continue. "We might need to buy a cookbook, Nick. I didn't do much cooking before, well, you know." He gave a small smile. "And the trainers, well…. cooking wasn't one of the skills they felt I needed to learn."

Nick felt the stupid grin return to his face as he pushed the cart forward and stopped beside Greg, reaching out and catching his hand within his own. "Given the alternative, sweetheart, I think I could learn to live on Twinkies and Ho Ho's." The recently trained companion looked around the aisle and realizing that they weren't alone, resisted the urge to kiss his new master, instead he ran his thumb over the hand holding his. Nick nodded at the gesture. "Guess we'll stop by the bookstore when we go shopping for those running shoes, huh Greg?" He was rewarded with a nod and started pushing the cart again. "Let's get this chore over with and get back home. That okay with you?"

The young man fell into step with Nick. "Yeah. Oh, and Nick? We can't forget the cereal and frozen waffles."

"Breakfasts of champions, huh? Or at least the breakfasts of the extremely satisfied." Nick chuckled.

Greg smiled and bumped Nick's shoulder gently with his own. "One of these days you will wake up to a proper breakfast, Nick. I'll make sure of that."

Nick stopped the cart and pulled the slender man into his arms, not caring who was in the aisle with them. "Don't worry about it, Greg. I'm beginning to prefer my breakfasts in bed." He leaned forward and placed a chaste kiss on the lips in front of him. "Let's get a move on. Ten minutes and we're out of here." He began to push the cart with a vengeance, Greg trailing behind him with a huge grin on his face.

* * *

Ecklie popped his head into Grissom's partially opened door. "What are you still doing here, Gil? Rough case last night?"

Grissom looked up at his superior and shook his head. "No Conrad, I was just going over this pile of applications for interns for the lab. Hodges approached me about the possibility of adding one to the shift. With all the double and triple shifts coming through here these days, I thought a little extra help might not be amiss."

Conrad smirked. "And you thought, if you could present me with your choice, it would make it easier for me to say go for it?"

The graveyard shift supervisor gave a small grin and shrugged one shoulder. "Thought it couldn't hurt, Conrad."

The man standing in front of the desk acknowledged the maneuver and smiled. "I wondered what you were up to. Frieda said you'd asked for some past applications." He nodded toward the stack of papers on Gil's desk. "See anyone there you like?"

"There's a couple I'd like to follow up on, that is, if you agree." Grissom knew how to play the game as well as Ecklie did.

"We could always use a good intern that could step up and become a full time tech if the aptitude is there," Conrad agreed. "Go ahead, Gil, but the budget is tight this year. Make it a maximum of forty hours a week at minimum wage."

"Can I offer insurance?" Gil asked, trying to make Greg's deal as good as possible.

"I suppose so." Ecklie chuckled and shrugged his shoulders, adding, "If he or she looks healthy."

Grissom stood and held out his hand to Ecklie. "Thanks, Conrad. I'll start making a few phone calls to see if any of these candidates are still interested and get back to you."

"Just keep me in the loop." He said walking to the door. "Oh and Gil?"

The other man looked up from the pile of papers he was pretending to read. "Yes?"

"Go home. That doesn't have to be done right now. Get some sleep, and that's an order."

Gil nodded, placing the papers on his desk and moved to follow Ecklie. "Sounds good, Conrad. I've finished everything I wanted to accomplish tonight anyway."

* * *

"What if he doesn't like me?" Greg asked quietly, as he shredded the corner of his paper napkin. The two men were just finishing up a breakfast of frozen waffles, precooked breakfast sausage, and fresh fruit.

Nick tried to reassure the distressed young man, "Grissom just wants to meet you and talk to you a bit."

It had surprised the experienced CSI when Grissom had called a little less than an hour ago, just as Nick had been pulling Greg into the shower behind him. Grissom asking to stop by his house before shift had been as effective as a cold shower, and Nick had pushed Greg into the cubicle alone, waiting until the young man was done, before entering the stall to take his own solitary shower.

Nick had tried to stay as calm as possible, knowing that Greg was already nervous. "It's going to be fine. Gil stops by all the time," he lied, crossing his fingers under the table.

Greg rose and took his dishes to the sink, returning and taking Nick's as well. He began to fill the sink with water and turned to Nick. "What would you like for me to do tonight?"

"You could unpack your new clothes. Oh, and the sheets could stand with spending some time in the laundry, I suppose," Nick blushed, causing Greg to grin.

"I had already planned on washing the sheets. I'll get the rest of the laundry, too. Any special requests for your delicates?" Greg teased. Nick shook his head and raised his coffee cup to finish the last dregs from the bottom.

"Is there anywhere special I should put my things, Nick?" Greg asked, turning back to the sink.

"Just shove my stuff over for right now," he mused. "Maybe Warrick could stop over and help me move the spare dresser in the guest room into our bedroom for your stuff."

Greg turned and gave a defiant pose. "I could help move that dresser, Nick. I'm stronger than I look."

"Okay, sweetheart, we'll move that dresser when I get home in the morning. Just empty out the drawers onto the guest bed. I'll go through whatever I had stored in there when I get a chance."

Greg smiled and shook his head. "What?" Nick demanded, with a smile.

"Now I know why the guest room was so…..lived in," Greg replied with a chuckle.

Nick raised his eyebrows at the young man and stood, advancing toward him with a decidedly suggestive look on his face. He stepped in close to Greg's body and reaching around him, rested his hands on the countertop. "You shouldn't tease me, Greg. It makes me want to remind you who the master is in this relationship."

Greg licked his lips and tilted his head, offering his jaw line and neck to Nick in submission. "You're my master. I belong to you."

"I wish we had time….," Nick was interrupted by a knock on the door. "Grissom's here," he acknowledged, stepping away from the man who was falling into companion-mode. "Shit," he said, realizing that Grissom would not want to see the young man in this manner; he was hoping to see someone who could work with authority in the lab.

"Greg, I'm going to get the door. No more companion, master talk. Get it together, sweetie." He dropped a quick kiss on Greg's forehead and walked out of the room, leaving the young man to take a deep breath and try to regain a semblance of self-confidence.

* * *

The meeting with Grissom was going well. Greg had managed to keep himself out of companion-mode, primarily by not looking at Nick. He could feel his presence, but realized that the times he felt most vulnerable to his status, included times with Nick in close proximity, or when he felt he'd done something wrong.

Grissom had chatted with both men, watching their interactions and noting that Greg was much more self-assured than he'd even hoped was possible after watching him fall to his knees so readily earlier in the week. He could see how Greg was aware of Nick and how his body language softened when Nick was in his line of vision, but when he was focused elsewhere, he was matter-of-fact and trying hard to say what he thought was expected.

It didn't surprise Gil that Greg was trying so hard to please, not only would that have been part of his training, but this was an interview, per se, albeit an informal interview. Both Nick and Greg had to have realized that when he had called and asked to visit.

"Would you be interested in interning at the lab, Greg?" he asked, watching for the reaction of the young man in front of him. He was pleased to see his eyes sparkle and the hopeful look that crossed his features.

"I would like that very much, Mr. Grissom. Nick had mentioned that it might be a possibility, but I was afraid to get my hopes up."

"Well, I've gotten my supervisor to agree to hire an intern, but it is important that your relationship with Nick be kept private, at least for the time being, or he might nix your hiring, or place you on a different shift than Nick."

"I'll do my best to make both you and Nick proud of me," Greg vowed. He looked at Gil and bit his lip. "If I should be moved to a different shift, I would have to quit, Mr. Grissom. Although I want to work in your lab, my first responsibility is to my…Nick."

"I understand, Greg. Everyone on the team knows that your relationship with Nick is to be kept quiet, but your interactions with him will be noted by others." Greg nodded in understanding. "Also, you must appear self-confident, and not appear vulnerable in front of others. It would be best if you did not appear as a companion on the job, especially not a pleasure companion. I have complete trust in everyone working in our lab, but we have many visitors over the course of the day that I cannot vouch for. Do you understand?"

Greg nodded. He did understand, all too well. A companion, especially a pleasure companion, might be viewed as fair game by some people. There were laws against violating or maiming someone else's property, but it was, more often than not, unenforced.

"I would like to take my chances, Mr. Grissom. As long as Nick approves, of course."

"Good enough," the graying-haired man replied. "I don't want to have you start at least for another week. You and Nick still need time to yourselves and you need to have more experiences outside of this house where you are not expected to be in companion-mode. Also, I need to take this slow from my end; I don't want Ecklie to realize that I played him quite so hard this morning." Nick chuckled at his words and Grissom smiled in response.

Gil stood and looked at both men. "It was nice to meet you, Greg. I'll look forward to working with you. I'll see you at work, Nick, in about," he glanced at his watch, "thirty minutes."

Greg rose to shake Grissom's hand. "Thank you for what you are doing, sir."

He was rewarded with a smile. "This has been the most pleasant thing I've done at work all week," the young man was assured as Grissom stepped out the door,

Greg turned to Nick and rushed into his arms. "Thank you, Nick. You've made everything possible." He placed his palms on Nick's cheeks and leaned in for a kiss.

Nick demurred, "No, Greg. I didn't do anything special. Everyone is responding to you and you're innate integrity, I'm just along for the ride."

"If you didn't have to go to work, I'd…..," Greg captured Nick's lips more confidently.

"Heaven knows I'd let you," Nick murmured against his neck. "Hold that thought for a couple of hours." Greg nodded and walked beside Nick to the front door, giving him a tight hug before sending him off to work.

* * *

Hope you enjoyed the chapter!

.


	8. Chapter 8

AN: Don't own 'em, just love 'em.

* * *

Nick actually found himself at work a couple of minutes early and wandered down the hallway towards the labs looking for David Hodges. The CSI and Hodges had never been close, in fact Nick often went out of his way to avoid the other man if possible, but tonight he needed to acknowledge Hodges' actions in regards to Greg. He found the persnickety man re-ordering his counter-top and scowling at the swing shift tech who was gathering up her things to leave.

He nodded to the leaving trace tech and walked into the lab. Nick realized that, after learning how Hodges had drawn out Greg that first night, taking him under his wing and following through with Grissom, he needed to express his thanks, even though he found the behavior hard to believe. "Hey Hodges," he began, looking for the other man's attention.

"Stokes," came the response.

"I just wanted to thank you for your interest in Greg. He thinks very highly of you," Nick said, watching for Hodges reaction to his words.

Hodges tossed the towel he had been wiping the counter with into the trash and turned towards Nick more fully. "The kid is special and he deserves a chance in life."

"He is special," Nick agreed. "Thanks to you and Grissom, he's going to have that chance. I just wanted you to know that I appreciate your intervention."

Hodges settled his body against the counter top and crossed his arms. "We took the first step, but he's is going to need your cooperation and support to really make it. Working outside of the home as a companion can be difficult.

Nick nodded. "I'm beginning to understand that. There's a lot I still need to learn about having a companion."

Hodges shrugged his shoulders and tilted his head in acknowledgement. "I'm not an authority, but if you ever have a question feel free to come to me. I have some knowledge of the social aspect, even some of the legal issues. If I can't help you, I can at least give you an idea where to look for the answer."

Nick looked at the other man in astonishment. "Thanks, Hodges. I appreciate the offer. I may take you up on it."

"Anything to help Greg out. I'm looking forward to working with him." Nick eyed Hodges carefully, wondering why he was getting so involved. The tech noticed Nick looking at him closely and shook his head, saying, "Don't worry, Stokes. I'm not trying to horn in on your territory. I don't swing that way. I just think Greg deserves a chance, that's all."

Nick nodded, admitting, "Sorry. I guess I am a little territorial about Greg."

"That's good. He needs someone to look out for him."

Nick smiled and began to walk towards the door, stopping when the other man gave one last comment. "Stokes, can I make one suggestion?" When Nick nodded, he continued, "If he hasn't had the opportunity to do so yet, I'm sure that Greg would appreciate being able to phone his family. He probably hasn't had any contact with them since he was first taken from his home last year."

That stopped Nick in his tracks. "Oh hell," he gave a pained moan. He couldn't imagine not talking to his family at least once a week, sometimes more often.

Hodges nodded and shrugged. "It makes it easier to train a person as a companion, if there is no contact with their previous life."

Nick nodded and looked resigned. "Thanks, I'll be sure to remedy that situation as soon as I get home." He looked down the hallway and gave a heavy sigh. "I better go, Grissom will be looking for me.

Hodges turned away from the door, but realized that Nick was still standing in the opening. "Hey David," the subdued man began, "I'm going to pick up a cell phone for Greg on my way home. Can I put your personal number on speed dial for him?"

Hodges turned towards Nick, realizing that the man had just used his first name, instead of his last, as was his usual wont. "Of course, Nick. I'd be honored. Tell him he can call me anytime."

Nick nodded and gave the man a smile, before turning and walking down the hallway.

Hodges reached out to give the counter top a quick pat, a grin on his face.

* * *

Nick was later getting home than he had previously intended. He had stopped at the shop where he had gotten his own cell phone in the hopes of adding Greg to his plan. After dealing with a new employee who wasn't sure how to go about altering an existing plan and then waiting for a more seasoned employee to finish with another customer before coming to his aid, Nick was running over an hour late. He knew Greg would be worried, but since Nick had dropped his landline when he moved from his old apartment to his house, there was no way of reaching the young man. He realized that the urge to get Greg home yesterday and in bed after grocery shopping, instead of swinging by the electronics store, had not been a smart decision.

Nick pulled sharply into his driveway and bolted out of the truck, gathering up the plastic bag containing the phone, as he exited the vehicle. He quickly jogged to the front door, fully expecting Greg to open it before he reached the top step. However, the door remained closed. Nick opened it and stepped in, glancing around as he entered the house.

Walking into the kitchen, he saw Greg standing at the stove. "Sorry, I'm late. I had to make a stop on the way home."

Greg turned around and smiled, but Nick could see the underlying tension that told him Greg had indeed been concerned. "No problem. I'm just finishing up here. Go ahead and have a seat."

Nick walked over and wrapped his arms around the young man and stroked his hands up and down his back. "It's okay, Greg. You can be upset with me for being late. I just wish I could have called to let you know."

He felt Greg sigh against his neck. "I just really missed you."

"I missed you too, sweetheart." Nick pulled back slightly and grinned. "So what are you making?"

Greg smiled, "Grilled cheese with ham, French fries and salad." He turned back towards the stove and suddenly pulled out of Nick's arms. "Oh, they're getting burnt!" He pulled the skillet from the burner and quickly turned the sandwiches over to check for telltale black edges.

Nick looked over his shoulder. "They look fine. I like mine toasted dark."

Greg sighed and nodded, shifting to open the oven door to remove the fries. Setting the pan on an empty burner, he glanced over to Nick. "The salad is in the frig."

Nick nodded and collected it and the carton of milk, setting them both on the table, as Greg brought the hot items over. As the men sat down to eat, Nick spoke, "I stopped at the electronics store of the way home to pick you up your own cell phone." He watched as Greg put his fork back down and returned his gaze. "Now I can call you if I'm going to be late."

He was rewarded with a smile. "Thank you, Nick. Having the phone will make me feel less isolated here."

"I'll show it to you after we eat." Greg nodded and picked up his fork again, taking a mouthful of salad.

Nick pushed the greens around on his plate, before continuing, "I had the store manager put my phone number on speed dial. I also had him put in David Hodges' phone number. He said you could call him anytime."

Greg smiled. "I'll give him a call tonight. I know he'll probably be sleeping during the day."

The two men finished their meal, discussing chores Greg had completed during the overnight hours and the impending transfer of the chest of drawers into their bedroom. As they placed their dishes into the sink, Nick stilled Greg's movements to begin washing the dishes they had used.

"You can do that tonight. I want to show you your phone now." Greg nodded and walked into the living room, where Nick picked up the plastic bag off the coffee table. The two men sat on the sofa, their heads close together as Nick explained all the features of the new acquisition.

After Greg spent a few minutes playing around with the phone, Nick placed a hand upon his knee. "Greg, I'm going into the bedroom to give you some privacy." The young man looked up at him with questioning eyes. "I want you to call your parents. They need to know you're safe."

Greg's eyes grew wide. "I….."

Nick smiled and pulled a slip of paper from his pocket and handed it to the bewildered man. "Give them your new phone number and address. Talk as long as you want. I know it's been a long time since you had the opportunity to do so. When you're done I'll be waiting for you, but don't rush." He leaned over and gave Greg a gentle kiss on the lips.

"Thank you, Nick. I didn't think…." Nick put a finger to Greg's lips and smiled, pointing to the phone. Greg nodded and opened it, punching in numbers from memory.

As Nick started down the hallway, he heard, " Hi Dad, it's me."

* * *

Nick lay in bed waiting for Greg to join him. It had only been a couple of days, but already the bed seemed too big and empty without the slender young man sharing the space. Nick glanced at the door, feeling guilty for wanting Greg to be joining him so soon, when he was talking to his family for the first time in over a year.

His eyes roamed around the room, realizing that the dresser had not gotten moved before he had shown Greg the phone. Perhaps they would get up in time to move it before he had to leave for work. Nick found himself smirking, realizing that that wasn't a realistic assumption to make based on the past few nights. He wondered how long it would be before the newness of their relationship wore off and the need to spend so much time in bed would dissipate, hoping it never would. Hearing a step in the hallway, Nick sat up and settled himself against the headboard, waiting for Greg to enter the bedroom.

Greg entered the room slowly, his eyes lowered to the floor. Nick's heart went out to the young man. "Greg," he asked softly, "are you okay?" Greg stopped still, and began to nod his head, before stopping and shaking it in denial. "Come here," Nick demanded, pushing the covers off of his legs and making room for Greg to crawl in beside him.

Greg quickly lowered himself onto the bed and wrapped himself around the older man, attempting to quell the shuddering sobs that were struggling to surface. Nick pulled him close and gently stroked his back, "It's okay, honey, let it out. It's okay to cry." At that, Greg gave up trying to hold in the tears and allowed himself to cry for the lost year of his life, soaking Nick's t-shirt in his abandon.

When Greg finally settled down, he lay exhausted against Nick's chest. Nick reached over to turn off the light, allowing the black out curtains to wrap the room in darkness. He shifted down into a more horizontal position, easing Greg down alongside him without letting go. Nick settled the young man's head under his chin and then draped a leg over the slender hip, making sure that Greg was enveloped in his touch from head to toe.

"Go to sleep, sweetheart. Everything is okay now," he crooned. "I've got you." He held on tightly, finally allowing himself to fall into sleep only after the young man in his arms had drifted off first.

* * *

The next few days flew by as Nick and Greg worked to overcome the need for the younger man to retreat to companion-mode whenever he felt threatened by circumstances or individuals in public. Nick often took a step back, allowing the other man to interact with waiters, sales people and others, in an effort to help improve his self-confidence.

Greg's ability to cope was growing by leaps and bounds, but a week after Grissom's visit, during a trip to the movie theater, he was felled by an obnoxious man who, after bumping into Greg and causing him to spill his drink on the man's shoes, berated the young man unmercifully. Greg would have dropped to his knees without giving it a thought, but Nick had grabbed and held onto his elbow in a tight grip, that they later discovered had left dark bruises. After making sure that Greg was going to stay upright, Nick had moved between him and the ranting oaf and had calmly asked him to move on. The man had sputtered on for a while longer, before realizing that his verbalizations were getting him nowhere, and had moved in closer, using his size to try and intimidate. Nick had held his ground and continued to stare the man down, until the gentleman had decided that backing off might be advisable. It had taken Nick several hours to ease Greg back from the edge, but he had been proud that Greg had held up while still in public.

In an effort to help make Greg to be as independent as possible, Nick had urged the young man to get his Nevada driver's license. Greg spent several hours while the other man was at work studying for the written portion of the exam, and a few days later was the proud owner of a new laminated license sporting a picture that included his huge smile and new hair style, in addition to his new identification card showing that he now belonged to one, Nicholas Stokes of Las Vegas, Nevada.

Greg had found comfort in being able to talk to his parents and sister daily. Nick knew that eventually, the young man would not need the daily connection, but understood that for now it was important for both Greg and his family to have the opportunity to reconnect. There had even been discussion of the two men visiting California sometime in the near future.

Each day Nick could see more of what Greg must have been like before he had been cruelly taken from his family. Although he had found Greg appealing before, he now found the young man even more fascinating and attractive. Nick loved discovering the depths of creativity Greg could display, and was quick to discover the intelligence that had been lurking beneath the cowed exterior. Even though he was sorry Greg had went through the year of discipline and deprivation while going through the training process, he couldn't be sorry that it had happened. Without events transpiring as they had, Nick might never have met the young man he was falling so deeply for.

Soon came the first day of his new internship at the Las Vegas crime lab. Grissom had assured Greg that everything would be fine and that he would be spending the entire first two months with David Hodges, and in the event that Hodges was not there, he would be placed in Mandy's lab for the night. Greg was a nervous wreck, sure that he would say or do something that would cause the dreaded 'Ecklie' to pull the internship from his grasp.

Walking into the building, where only two weeks earlier he had been presented to Nick as a gift, Greg felt a sense of worth again. Nick walked him to Grissom's office and patted him on the back. "Okay, here's where I drop you off. Gil will get you started on whatever paperwork you need and then pass you off to Hodges. If I have to work overtime, I'll call. If that happens, Mandy and Hodges have both volunteered to give you a ride home until we can pick you up your own transportation."

Greg nodded. "Can I call you if I need to?" he asked hesitantly.

"Sure. I might not be able to talk for long, especially if I'm in the middle of something, but I'll always answer, Greg. I promise."

The young man nodded and smiled. "Go ahead. I'll see you later." Nick returned his smile and turned to walk down the hallway to the break room, as Greg lifted his hand to knock on Grissom's door.

* * *

Nick was enjoying a cup of coffee with his co-workers as they waited for Grissom to enter and pass out call out slips. Catherine was chattering on about her daughter's latest attempt to prove that she was nineteen, instead of nine, when their supervisor entered the room. Nick gave a smile as he noted the wild-haired figure standing beside the graying man.

Clearing his throat, Grissom caught everyone's attention. "I'd like to introduce everyone to our newest lab intern, Greg Sanders. Greg will begin his training in trace with David Hodges. I hope that you will all make him welcome." He proceeded to introduce each of the CSI's individually, including Nick. Grinning at Greg, he joked, "Protocol."

Greg nodded and turned to the group smiling. "Thank you," he said to them. "Thank you so much."

* * *

AN: If you got here I hope you enjoyed it. I've had thoughts about possibly extending this story, but right now all my plot bunnies are hopping off in other directions. So maybe in the future... ;0)


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